accountable at all to the constitution, to the american public. all this stuff is happening under our noses. the supreme court, in these emergency petitions without full briefing, is overriding the lower court judges that are just putting pauses on this stuff. they're kind of, wait a minute orders, like whoa, whoa, whoa, just wait and see. can i just see what's going on here? the court saying no, we're going to let donald trump go forward. so i agree that we're seeing a very new construction or understanding of the constitution, and i would argue it's kind of what the framers, exactly what the framers rejected, king george iii. host: can you explain the shadow docket? guest: when you're talking about litigation, it goes through the district court, the appellate court, then the supreme court on on, and both sides will brief things, amicus briefs, friends of the court that have different ideas. they all file. you've got reams and reams of paper. host: and these are cases that

will then show on c-span? guest: exactly. we're talking about them at the >> leaving this here to take you to the u.s. house. live coverage on c-span. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the prayer will be offered by chaplain kibben. chaplain kibben: would you play with me? eternal god, your promises are sure and your love for us unwavering. you have claimed us as your beloved children. we need only believe that your love has the power to transform our lives.

lord, we believe. help our unbelief. this is the day that you have made and all our days are held in your strong and tender hand. we need only believe that you will guide us through them. lord, we believe. help our unbelief. your spirit has made us the breath of the almighty give us life and far more beautiful than our eyes perceive. we must believe with expectation your promises will unfold and that in the per them time your promises will be revealed. -- perfect time, your promises will be revealed. allow our hearts to say yes and trust to receive your guidance this day. lord, we believe. and we pray in the power of your name that even in our unbelief, you will answer.

amen. the speaker pro tempore: amen. the chair has has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings. the journal stands approved. the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from michigan, mr. wall beryl. mr. mr. mr. walberg: i ask you join me in the wonderful pledge of allegiance. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i seek unanimous consent to address this body for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute.

>> thank you very much, mr. speaker. when a community moves in true harmony, you can hear it before you ever see it. it's the sound of neighbors lifting one another up, volunteers sustaining the arts and people creating something greater than the sum of its parts. mr. bean: for 24 years the emilea chamber festival in northeast florida has embodied that spirit. it has brought world class performers to florida's first coast, inspired young people through music education and shown a committed community can resonate as powerful as any concert hall performance. mr. speaker, a festival is more than just music, it reflects the heart of the place that sustains it. for a quarter century, the amelia ireland chamber music festival has proven when a community comes together, it always plays in perfect tune.

congratulations on 25 amazing years. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the chair will receive a message. the messenger: mr. speaker, a message from the united states senate. the speaker pro tempore: mr. sec retary. mr. secretary: i've been directed to inform the house the senate has passed s.r.250 to require the secretary of state and relative branch agencies to address international scam compounds defrauding people in the united states, to hold significant transnational criminal organizations accountable and for other purposes, in which the occurrence of the house is requested. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina seek recognition? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. wilson: thank you, mr. speaker.

one year the people received the historic impossible. after 54 years of socialist dictatorship, they drove out the sadistic regime of al-assad. president donald trump has promoted successfully, give syria a chance. under assad, half a million were killed. half the nation was displaced and 90% of the country was in poverty. in august, i visited damascus with senator jeanne shaheen and umbarak and saw the devastations of war. i met with the cabinet of war and enter faith leaders. syria has a promise of stability benefiting all the middle east, including change in tehran. that's why both of us, democrat and republican, have -- appreciate so much to repeal the caesar act which is sanctions on the assad regime which is being implemented to be repealed with the full support of president donald trump.

in conclusion, god bless our troops as the global war continues and trump is revealing peace through strength and showing lies from putin speaking in the morning and conducting mass murder in the evening. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> i rise to celebrate the anniversary of the individuals with education act or idea. we all know a strong education can unlock a lifetime of abilities. but sometimes even going to school with disabilities can be challenging. mr. walberg: thankfully, idea changed all of that. at its core, idea is about providing a tailored education

that meets a student's unique needs. as chairman of the education and work force committee, i'm committed to expanding strong, personalized education opportunities so every student can succeed. idea was an incredible first step in making education possible for our nation's students. as we look to the future, we must maintain and remain steadfast in our commitment to making high quality, tie lowered education possible for every american student. here's to another 50 years of idea. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. lamalfa: mr. speaker, i ask permission to address the house for one minute. ive. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. lamalfa: thank you, mr. speaker. once again we're hearing this word "atowardability" tossed around these days as on election

line or whatever, "affordability." but it is being used to cover up the bad policy that is driving up costs to make it unaffordable and you see it in every press release and speech, the buzzwords aren't really the important part, it's the policies driving the high costs of everything. starting with energy, once again, in my home state of california, our electricity prices are higher than most other states than hawaii. you can slap the word "affordable" on this policy but it isn't. you can't run a farm or household on slogans. there's washington's spending habit when we saw " affordability" again, massive spending is taking supply out and driving inflation. it's amazing how quickly these talking points lose that. then there's the regulatory stack. folks love to preach affordability while bearing projects under nepa delays and in my home state of california,

carb regulations taking away our vehicles and forcing everything to an electricity grid that can't handle it. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: pursuan t to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair will postpone further proceedings on motions to suspend the rules on which the recorded vote or yeas and nays are ordered. or votes are objected to under clause 6 of rule 20. the house will resume proceedings on postponed questions at a later time. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass senate bill 356. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 356, an act to extend the secure rule of schools and self-determination act of 2000. the speaker pro tempore: pursuan t to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. lamalfa, and the gentleman from new mexico, mr. vazquez, each will control 20 minutes.

the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. lamalfa: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. lamalfa: and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. thank you. i yield myself such time as i may consume. i'm very pleased and honored to be able to stand here take in support of the bipartisan secure rule schools re-authorization act bill of 2025. 6 which we are considering under the rules. it would secure s.r.s. which is really a lifetime for many rural communities in my home part of northern california, my neighboring states, and across the nation. in counties with large swaths of national forests, the s.r.s. program makes essential payments to county governments that ensure schools stay open and county roads stay maintained and emergency services remain available. previously, counties received a portion of timber sale proceeds

on projects on a national forest as federal lands are not subject to state or local property taxes. however, as timer with sales have decreased over the years, something i'm working with our chairman g.t. thompson and chairman westerman and the administration reverse, congress created the s.r.s. program to make up for that shortfall in timber receipts. but this program expired in 2023 and the last payments went out in 2024. so for many counties and schools, the lapse in the s.r.s. program means an abrupt and devastating cut of roughly 80% of that portion of funding which they normally receive. which is unacceptable, and it hurts local government's ability to provide these basic educational, public safety, and other services. schools would close, jobs would be eliminated due to this delay. and in this case here, might even be just in time for christmas. in 2024 alone, my home state of california had received $33.7

million through this program. the securive rural schools re-authorization act of 2025 helps ensure more than 700 rural counties that receive these s.r.s. payments have the resources they need for schools, roads, and wildfire mitigation by re-authorizing this program. this bill not only ensures that s.r.s. payments can go out in 2025 and 2026, but also makes retroactive payments for those missed in 2024 when the program expired. re-authorizing an s.r.s. program means schools, public works, and county services will not be forced to lay off dozens of employees that do the essential work for rural counties and schools, and again, right before christmas in some cases. those that have been let go due to the lapse in funding should be able toe be brought back to continue the important work they do for their areas. again, mr. speaker, i want to thank my great colleagues, chairman of the ag committee g.t. thompson, chairman of the resources committee, bruce

westerman, for their work on re-authorizing this s.r.s. program. i also want to thank my colleagues making this a bipartisan bill, my co-lead on the issue, colorado representative joe neguse, for coming in with me on this for the house version of the bill. senators crapo and widen for their work on that side, so with that i will urge my colleagues to support this. let's get this out and get the delay over with and help these local counties and schools. i reserve the balance of my time the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new mexico is recognized. plaintiff velazquez: thank you, mr. mr. velazquez: thank you. i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. velazquez: i wish to celebrate a long-awaited victory for rural america, the passage of the secure rural schools re-authorization act. i'd like to thank lamalfa and neguse who introduced this bill and ranking thompson and craig who wouldn't be standing here

without their support we've seen for this bill both here in congress and on the ground in our communities. mr. vazquez: for decades, s.r.s. has been more than an abstract federal program, it's been a promise, a promise that when federal lands limit local tax revenue, congress will stand with rural communities and school districts so they can continue to provide the basic essential services that every american family deserves. rural communities across the country and in new mexico know the story well. in grant, sierra and ontario counties in my district, national forests define our landscape and who we are. they are the treasurers we value and protect. yet those beautiful lands mean fewer taxable acres and fewer revenue streams for public schools and fewer resources to maintain the roads our families travel every day. for several years s.r.s. closed that gap and ensured public schools could keep teachers in

the classrooms and buses could run safe routes on rural roads and county commissioners could approve long term budgets with certainty. it ensured those growing up in rural communities received a fair shot of those growing up in albuquerque or las cruces and ensured if there was a medical emergency, they had the roads they needed to save livings. that ability vanished when s.r.s. expired in 2024. rural counties across the west, including mine, were forced to make impossible decisions. in new mexico alone, our communities lost more than $9 million in a single year. . that meant school districts had to consider laying off teachers, reading specialists, and cutting backle to a four day school week because they could no longer afford to operate on a five-day school week. county commissions were forced to take a hard look at their budgets, looking line by line what vital services they could cut to ensure their communities

could rynatan the roads. this past august i met with a bipartisan group of county officials, educators, and tribal leaders back home to discuss s.r.s. and the need formee authorization. need for re-authorization. they needed certainty, congress to act, an this lifeline to their community. today after months of fighting for re-authorization, we are delivering on a bipartisan basis. today we are send ago clear message to rural communities across new mexico and across the country that they are not invisible. not exspendable, and not expected to bear the weight of this lapse alone. the senate has already passed this re-authorization, and i urge my colleagues to represent help us finish the job, send the bill to the president's desk for his signature. this is the kind of wins that new mexicans sent me to washington , d.c. to deliver. this legislation represents the best of what congress can achieve when we put aside partisanship and focus on the people we serve.

it reflects both democrats and republicans' shared understanding that rural counties take on an enormous responsibility in managing and sorting our natural forces and kids should not be left behind because of it. it's a recognition public lands do benefit our entire nation and maintaining essential services like schools and roads should not fall on the shoulders of rural families of the for new mexico's second district this bill means stability. they can retain teachers, hire staff, and keep programs in place. it means our sheriffs, firefighters, and first responders have reliable funding for the roads and infrastructure they depend on when every second counts. passing s.r.s. re-authorization also honors the frontier spirit that defines rural new mexico, communities like silver city, and many others throughout new mexico continue to lead in forest conservation. outdoor resilience and natural resource management. they deserve a federal partner

that manages their commitment -- matches their commitment and they are getting it. i thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who worked tirelylessly to bring this to the finish line. i thank our local leaders, county commissioners, teachers, and parents, and firefighters like these folks here in fence lake who raised their voices and never left this issue slip from their attention. as this bill is signed into law, i look forward to witnessing the relief it will bring across new mexico in time for christmas. i look forward to seeing teachers stay in their classrooms, rural roads being repaired and maintained, and families in these rural counties finally receiving the stability that they have been promised but denied for too long. today is a good day for rural america. today is a good day for new mexico. mr. speaker, i'm proud to vote in favor for the s.v.s. re-authorization act. i urge my colleagues to join me. thank you, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized mr. lamalfa: thank you, mr. speaker.

thanks once again, mr. vazquez, from new mexico for driving this force on your side of the aisle. both sides of the aisle. appreciate that. being able to get this over the line here soon. as we both know too much about wildfire in our respective states as well which would be a long ways towards helping this issue. thank you. i would like to yield to the gentleman, my colleague from my north border, the gentleman is recognized. >> thank you, mr. lamalfa. i rise today in sports of senate 356, the secure rural schools re-authorization act of 2025. mr. speaker in 1990, the spotted owl was listed in the endangered species act as threatened. almost immediately timber production from western united states plummeted by 80%. the economic and societal cost of timber dependent states and their timber reliant counties was appalling. demand for snap and medicaid shot up. alcoholism and meth addiction became routine. county tax revenues were

decimated. a beplated -- belated response was the secure rural schools act in 2000, 10 years after the listing of the owl. this partially was to offset the decline in timber revenue. as this chart shows, all of those billions did nothing to help recover the owl. the population of which declined from 1200 pairs in 1980 to around 200 pairs today. with society enacts laws that seemingly benefit the broader public but harm smaller communities, society must assume responsibility for that harm. this is what this bill partially accomplishes. i thank my colleagues, i thank the leaders of the committees that helped put this bill together. i thank speaker johnson for this bill and the funding my county needs. i urge my colleagues to support senate bill 356.

yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. mr. lamalfa: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from new mexico is recognized. mr. vazquez: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield such time she may consume to my distinguished colleague from the state of oregon. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentlewoman is recognized. >> thank you, mr. speaker. thank you representative vasquez. i rise in support of s.356, the secure rural schools re-authorization act, bipartisan legislation with representatives lamalfa, neguse in the house and senators crapo and widen in the senate. in central and southern oregon, my district, the federal government owns over three million acres of forestland that pays no taxes to federal -- to our local government. general generations of families built their lives and livelihood around federal timber harvest, and counties relied on revenue shares from those sales to fund

public services. miss van oscar de la hoya: when the timber -- miss van oscar de la hoya -- mse critical infrastructure to make sure they not get left behind. however, in the republican budget bill, h.r. 1, the timber revenues from federal lands to counties were eliminated adding insult to injury. the secure rural school program has been a life line for our rural -- lifeline for our rural communities. it supports basic public services like keeping roads paved, schools opened, and emergency schools running. secure rural schools was meant to bridge and not be the final answer for our rural communities. we still have a long way to go to deliver on the investments and job opportunities that rural america needs and deserves. it's one of my top priorities in

congress. i know along with many of my colleagues. letting this program expire and pulling the rug out from our rural counties is simply not an option. we owe it to our rural communities, our timber dependent counties to keep this commitment. i'm proud to support this bill. i urge my colleagues to support it as well. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. million lamalfa: i appreciate my colleague from oregon. it took a while to get here but i appreciate her help. i would like to yield to my colleague from minnesota, m mr. stauber, for 1 and a half minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr. stauber: mr. speaker, as a former county submissioner, i rise in strong support of the secure rural schools re-authorization act of 2025. since the national forest system was created nearly 200 million acres of rural america have been put aside for conservation,

recreation, and responsible natural resource development like mining and timber harvesting. when these acres were put aside, rural communities lost their access to this land for settlement and economic development. to compensate for these communities, they were supposed to receive a portion of the revenue the federal government generated from responsible resourced development to help fund things like schools and rural roads. but today thanks to endless litigation and opposition from environmental groups responsible development like mining and timber harvesting is nearly impossible. and our rural communities are losing jobs, economic activity, and their share of federal revenues from this development. the secure rural schools program was created to help offset that. today the secure rural schools program provides nearly $7 million a year to rural communities across minnesota's eighth congressional district. mr. speaker, while we should

really be taking action to encourage and allow responsible mining and timber harvesting within our national forest, providing this relief is the next best thing. this is a vital lifeline for rural america that the american people owe to them. and we must re-authorize it. rural minnesota and rural america matters. i urge my colleagues to support the bill, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. mr. lamalfa: i would like to yield to the gentlelady from wyoming, mrs. hageman -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from wyoming, is recognized. mrs. hageman: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of s. 356, to re-authorize the secure rural schools program. mr. speaker, with such a large percentage of wyoming's resources locked in federal lands, including national forests, communities across my state have long weathered

challenges associated with reduced flexibility and a decreased tax base. while a percentage of revenue from timber sales previously alleviated tax shortfalls, shifting management priorities in washington, d.c. have led to declineds in timber harvest. the program was created to bridge the gap for our rural communities that continue to be impacted by decades of agency mismanagement, federal overregulation, and harmful lawsuits. since its creation, wyoming communities have received vital funding to support infrastructure projects, public education, searching and rescue operations, and other critical emergency services. the programs' lapse and unauthorization has threatened these fusions and the successful re-authorize to assist count also wyoming community that are disproportionately impacted by bureaucratic decisionmaking beyond their control.

lastly, we must not lose sight of the underlying problem and continue to prioritize policy that is restore timber production production and the original intent of our federal land management agencies. supporting multiple use and healthy forest through protact active management -- proactive management strategies. i appreciate all the wyoming stakeholders who brought this issue to my attention and remained engaged on this legislation throughout the consideration in congress. i also want to thank representative lamalfa and chairman westerman, as well as chairman thompson for their steadfast leadership on this legislation to resolve these issues and support our rural wyoming communities. i urge all of my colleagues to support s., 356. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from new mexico is recognized. mr. vasquez: i don't want to highlight very important projects in my district that sit

in the gila national forest and surrounding communities of glennwood, new mexico, and gilmado reserve. they help diversify rural economy that is help support the recreation economy. they are the catwalk national historic trail anti-cosmic campground. these two projects on federal public lands have brought in very important economic revenue to these communities, drug in tours from across the country to seat darkest skies in the country in what is an international dark sky sanctuary and bun one of the breathtaking trails you can experience in wilderness. s.r.s. is incredibly important to help ensure that our schools and our roads continue to function as we expand new mexico's outdoor recreation economy. with that, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. lamalfa: i yield to the gentleman from california, mr. kiley, 90 second. mr. kiley: as a co-sponsor of

the secure rural schools re-authorization, i am very glad and relieved this day has finally come. seven of the counties in my district rely on this program to assure every child access to a quality education and to provide important public services. i have met throughout the period in which this funding has lapsed with many of the leaders in these schools who have talked about the tradeoffs they have had to make. i met with the students who have seen opportunities taken from them. extracurricular, other programs that had to be limited because of this lapse in funding. i want to thank all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle here today and in the committees of jurisdiction for your tireless efforts in overcoming the inertia of this institution and getting this bill to the floor for a vote today. i look forward to it passing in a resounding bipartisan way. and in a way that i hope will assure going forward we don't allow for this sort of lapse to happen again. wherefore a year and a half

these schools and counties were going without these vitally needed payments. this is a measure that has broad bipartisan support. it's a very popular program. it's an important program. there is no reason that congress should fail to pass its re-authorization in a timely manner. i look forward to this passing on the floor today. we need to make sure in the future we don't keep our schools and our students in limbo. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from new mexico is recognized. mr. vasquez: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new mexico reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. .. mr. lamalfa: i'm happy to yield to one of the hardest working men on this committee, mr. westerman. the speaker pro tempore: for 2 1/2 minutes. the gentleman is recognized. mr. westerman: i rise in support of s.356, the rural schools

re-authorization act which is a lifeline for school districts that have experienced severe budget impacts since 2023 when the program was not re-authorized. this will is require to ensure funding and prevent closures and make sure rural students have what they need to compete with urban communities. this is about investing in the future of rural america and supporting communities surrounded by federal forests. it's something i hear about regularly from the men and women of the fourth district of arkansas who share my understanding our schools must be supported in a way that allows them to play a role as a community hub while also supporting our timber industry that is the lifeblood for many communities. arkansas counties with a swath of forestland have received timber harvest revenue which compensates for the lack of federal property tax on federal

land. however, there are draining rates of timber harvesting and mitigation and environmental regulations have drastically affected county revenue and has created a very real economic impact in its wake. franklin garland, heartsspring, pack, polk, scott have lost millions of their s.r.s. funding while waiting for this legislation to be re-authorized. communities across arkansas and the united states are sounding the alark and time for congress to listen. this bill not only shines the light on a educational issue but also underscores a need for responsible forest management. and it is why i introduced fix or forests which passed with a bipartisan result. it would mitigate the devastation of wildfires in our wild land urban interfaces through the restoration of

forest health and commonsense management. i hope the senate will act soon so we can send fofa to the president's desk to help our rural communities throughout arkansas and the nation. it's time to restore revenue and revitalize resilience and re-authorize the secure rural schools re-authorization. it will be for our rural timber communities all across the country and i appreciate my colleague mr. lamalfa for his work he's done and urge my colleagues to support the legislation and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from new mexico is recognized. mr. vazquez: i reserve, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new mexico reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. lamalfa: thank you, mr. speaker. i'd like to yield to my great colleague from utah and also from the western caucus, ms. maloy, for 1 1/2 minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. maloy: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in strong support of the

secure rural schools re-authorization act of 2025. the secure rural schools program or s.r.s. is a lifeline for rural communities. when revenue from timber land declined, it forced counties to pay for roads and services. the counties are responsible for providing these basic services but what if they can't? s.r.s. steps in to fill the gap, along with overwhelming landownership, lands that previously benefited from timber sales. with the majority of utah's lands federally managed our cities can't tax their way out of budgeting shortfalls. the elected county commissioners in my district spent a lot of time getting creative and stretching the dollars they have as far as they can and includes working to get congress to fund s.r.s. cain county is 87% federally owned. garfield county is about 94% federal ownership. and piutte county is about 75%.

they need to be part of the communities around the land it manages. stepping up funding is part of being a part of the local communities and keeps schools staffed and roads maintained. our rural counties need the stability and fairness that comes with re-authorizing s.r.s. and it matters a lot for utah. to be clear, rural counties, timber counties, would rather have the jobs that come with timber production and sound forest management. management for resource production. but in the meantime, while we're fixing the policies to prevent that, s.r.s. is essential for the rural counties. thank you, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from new mexico is recognized. mr. vazquez: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to thank chair well for his support of the fix our forest act for introducing that bill and hope it makes it to the senate. as we talk about the longevity of rural communities and the sustainability of rural communities, we must have good

forest management and a diversified economy that includes the timber industry, cattle growing, outdoor recreation and so much of that depends on the health of our public lands. i'm encouraged by the bipartisanship shown on this bill today and hope we can have more conversations and pass s.r.s. out of the house today so we can ensure these rural communities have a future that's not dependent on federal funding but has a diversified economy that uses our natural resources wisely. with that i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from reserves. j. california is recognized. mr. lamalfa: thank you. our next speaker, i greatly appreciate his strong work in our ag committee and subcommittee on forestry and like to yield to the gentleman, a great friend and colleague, mr. g.t. thompson from pennsylvania, our ag committee chair, for three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. thompson: i want to thank the distinguished chairman of the agriculture subcommittee -- of the forestry subcommittee,

for his great work and leadership and tireless work on this important issue. i rise today in support of s.356, the secure rural schools re-authorization act of 2025. actually managing our national forests is critical for forest health and the economic health of our rural communities. congress has long recognized responsible timber harvesting is essential to encouraging that stewardship. since many communities throughout the united states, including pennsylvania's 15th congressional district are located within national forestlands and declining timber harvest can lead to chronic underfunding of rural schools and emergency services and other projects that rely on a strong tax base. as a result, congress made a commitment to provide resources to rural communities and schools that have tracks of land managed by the u.s. forest service. since 1908, federal laws require that 25% of revenue generated

through timber sales in the national forest is returned to the local county. these funds are then used by local governments to provide critical support services for schools, roads, and other essential needs. timber harvesting the national forest system reached its peak in the late 1980's and dramatically declined in the early 1990's. this decline led to significantly reduced payments to counties notably impacting rural schools. this trend continued throughout the decade and harvesting levels have since remained only a fraction of their historical highs. to offset this lost revenue, congress created the secure rural schools program in 2000. to offer an alternative formula that takes historic production levels into account. this program has been a lifeline to hundreds of rural counties and school districts across the country who have seen their budgets slashed through no fault of their own. the program expired in the fall

of 2023 resulting in county payments reverting to the rate under permanent law which equates to a nearly 70% reduction. today's legislation will extend secure rural schools for three years and make adjustments to payments already made to fiscal years 2024 and 2025. without this critical re-authorization, these rural school districts will not receive any additional funding this year and payment schedule for distribution in the spring of 2026 and beyond will remain at significantly reduced levels. i represent many communities that receive funding through the secured rural schools program. and i remain committed to seeing the program operate consistently and successfully. we must ensure that congress continues to fulfill our obligations to the rural schools and rural counties. i support this legislation and i urge my colleagues to vote favorably. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: yields. the gentleman from new mexico is recognized. mr. vasquez: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. lamalfa: i am prepared to close and reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new mexico is recognized. mr. vasquez: i think we can recognize what a special moment it is for our community. these days democrats and republicans don't see eye to eye long enough to get a piece of legislation like this all the way to the president's desk. the fact we will today shows how important it is to stand up for our rural communities. for new mexico, this is real money with real impact. our rural communities have been missing $9 million to support schools, roads and essential services. i'm proud to be bringing that money back to the families and communities that have waited far too long. i also want to take a moment to recognize some of the incredible new mexican advocates who helped make today possible. it's not a full list and long one so bear with me. our secure rules champions in

new mexico's second district include kayley ortiz, amber vaughn, william hawkins, kate fletcher, joyce parsons, deborah lackey and david muller. these are the folks who stood up and spoke out and organized their neighbors and never let us forget what was at stake. i want to thank every constituent who wrote and called and shared their story with our office. their advocacy drove much of this effort and their persistence is why we're passing this bill into law today. i want to thank my republican colleagues for working on this piece of legislation with me and other members of the committee. i'm proud of my community, i'm grateful for their trust and once again proved something they know back home, don't mess with rural new mexico. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. lamalfa: in closing i want to thank mr. vasquez and his ability to work on these issues and let's use this for more success going forward in

forestry and fire and keeping these schools funded and as we go. so with that, i'd also want to -- on the house bill, i'd like to thank mr. neguse of colorado again for working on the house version of the bill to get where we got here today. i want to thank speaker johnson and our leader mr. scalise as well for helping get this shepherded into here today and get past some of our other issues that have taken a while to get here. let's just not have this happen again in this fashion that it's taken a while to get here but we're very grateful for those that have come together and for everyone to see the importance of this. lastly, i really want to thank the patients in good cheer for the folks in our districts. i'm sure new mexico and my part of northern california as well, the patience the people have shown with us getting through the property and the good cheer they brought with that. our colleagues from trinity

county and shasta county, some are in the audience here today. and i'm going to especially point out a couple of modak service communities in my ear, supervisor coe and jerry burn, thank for you your consistency and persistency in helping us get this over the line. so i'm very, very happy we've gotten here today. and so with the broad bipartisan support, let's do more of this. so, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time and i urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the secure rural schools re-authorization act of 2025. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass senate bill 356? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair -- i'm sorry, those pop posed say no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection -- mr. lamalfa: mr. speaker?

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. lamalfa: i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the yeas and nays are requested. all those in those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted standing until counted. the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. . period mr. .

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from arkansas seek recognition? >> i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2302, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 242, h.r. 2302. a bill to take certain federal land in the state of california and into trust for the benefit of the shingle springs band of miwok indians, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from arkansas, mr. westerman, and the gentlewoman from washington, miss randell -- ms. randall, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from arkansas mr. westerman: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on h.r. 2302, the bill now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. westerman: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. westerman: h.r. 2302, the

shingle springs band of me congress indians land transfer act of 2025, introduced by congressman mcclintock, would place approximately 88 acres of feed land in trust for the shingle springs band of the me congress indians. descendents once lift throughout california inhabiting land from the sacramento area to the sierra mountains. they were displaced by the gold rush of the 1850's prompting the government to refer to the tribe of the sacramento verona band of homeless indians. they provided the tribe a 160 acre parcel of land known as verona which searches as the tribe's rancheria. it has become largely land landlocked. this has prohibited the tribe's growth and restricting housing opportunities. in 2014, roughly 41 acres of b.l.m. land were placed into trust for the tribe to assist with tribal housing needs.

developing the land for housing has proved difficult, hour due to the land's rough terrain. recently the tribe purchased land near the rancheria known as the indian creek subdivision previously approved for a now defunct subdivision. the tribe seeks to place this land into trust and is pursuing this goal legislatively as their previous attempt to attain approval through the federal administrative process have been mired in the bureaucracy. the other parcells involved in this -- parcel involved in this slayings provides # 8 acres of land to be transferred in trust for the tribe. they have suffered from various management issues which led the tribe and surrounding landowners to sound the alarm about fire risk. the tribe's capability and concern for the land's overall health.

currently the tribe has no immediate commercial or development plans for these parcels. and pursuant to the indian gaming regulatory act, gaming on these lands is prohibited. i applaud mr. mcclintock for working with the tribe to develop h.r. 2302, which would place land into trust for the shingle springs band of miwok indians. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. as you heard from chairman westerman, h.r. 2302, will help provide the shingle springs band of the miwok indians the ability to address their housing and infrastructure needs for their citizens. like americans across the country who are struggling to afford housing in the trump administration's economy, the tribe is currently facing a housing shortage with over 180 families listed on the tribe's housing wait list. without additional land, the tribe is unable to build the housing needed to provide these families homes. the shingle springs band of the

miwok indians land transfer act will address this challenge by transferring 80 acres currently managed by the bureau of land management, and 185 acres of tribally owned feed land into trust for the tribe. this is an important step chords ensuring the shingle springs band of the me congress indians have the land they need, their lands, to meet the current needs of their citizens and plan for sustainable community growth. i urge for this legislation to be supported and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from arkansas is recognized. mr. westerman: mr. speaker, i yield five minutes to the gentleman from california, the lead sponsor of the bill, mr. mcclintock. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman virginia tech mr. mcclintock: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm pleased to present this bill at the request of the shingle springs band of me congress indians to transfer 80 acres of b.l.m. land and 185 acres of fee simple land already owned by the tribe into trust as part of their reservation for the purpose of housing. i have always insisted that any

transfer of lands from fee simple ownership to federal trust must have the approval of the local land use management agency that's responsible for this land, since it takes that land off the tax rolls and out of the agency's jurisdiction. so i'm pleased to report that the el dorado board of supervisors unanimously endorsed this bill affecting the transfer. this particular tract was approved for residential housing in the past, but the projects never materialized. this land transfer will bring a new neighborhood into the community, providing desperately needed housing to tribal members. the tribe already owns this land. it merely seeks the freedom afforded by federal trust status to bring it to fruition. the transfer of the 80 acres of federal b.l.m. land should be a no laner. the b.l.m. long ago abandoned this tract to neglect and now densely overgrown and serious fire hazard for the surrounding communities.

putting this land under the act of management of the shingle springs band assures that good stewardship can be restored to this acreage in perpetuity. the local government did request some restrictions on the use of the land which the tribal government has agreed to. the property cannot be used for gaming nor for commerce beyond what's necessary to support the needs of the new neighborhood. frankly, i hope that future boards will agree to expand the permissible use of this land, but in the meantime both the tribal government and the local government have agreed to these restrictions and they are incorporated into this act. let me take just a moment to tell you about the shingle springs band of me congress indians. it's a remarkable tale of resilience of determination and triumph. the members of this tribe are descendents of the me congress and southern people who populated the sierra nevada mountains and central valley california for many thousands of years. spanish colonization devastated

the native population in the 18th century, and 19th century gold rush all but obliterated it. by 1913, the entire native population of california had plummeted from an estimated 310,000 down to just 17,000. in the aftermath, the few surviving members of the me congress tribe were allocated 160 acres as a rancheria. but the construction of highway 50 cut the residents off from easy access and the members dispersed into the surrounding communities. it breathed new life into the isolated disbanded descendents anti-members returned and reorganized as the shingle springs manned of me bobbing indians, the only federally recognized tribe in el dorado county. they achieved remarkable success in the years that followed. this small tribe numbering about 500 enrolled members, raise the private money to build an offram from highway 50 to restore

access to their ranch. they used the opportunities afforded under the indian gaming regulatory act to construct the red hawk casino, and from that success they have expanded into a hospitality and recreation center for the region, providing employment, commerce, and health care, and all the spinoff commercial activity that that means to the surrounding community. the shingle springs band of me congress indians survived near annihilation during the spanish colonization and gold rush eras, only to become a prosperous and integral part of el dorado county. i'm honored to carry this legislation that will continue their progress and contributions to their posterity and our community in the years ahead. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. mr. westerman: i commend the gentleman for his work on this important issue and representing his district so well. i have no further requests for time. i'm prepared to close. i continue to reserve.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the gentleman from arkansas is recognized. mr. westerman: mr. speaker, this legislation will allow the shingle springs band of me congress indians -- miwok indians to place land in the trust that will benefit the tribe and surrounding area. i urge adoption and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2302, as amended. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from arkansas seek recognition? mr. westerman: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1276, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number

1237, h.r. 1276, a boil remove restrictions from a parcel of land in paducah, kentucky. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from arkansas, mr. westerman, and the gentlewoman from washington, ms. randall, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from arkansas. mr. westerman: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous material on h.r. 1276, the bill now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. westerman: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. westerman: i rise in support of this legislation offered by my good friend and the chairman of the house oversight and government reform committee, representative comer. this legislation would remove federal deed restriction from a building and the surrounding parcel of land in paducah, kentucky. for more than six decades the oscar cross boys and girls club of paducah has provided a safe place for young people in

kentucky to learn, grow, and thrive. they are a model of community service, offering affordable mentorship, recreation, and educational opportunities to hundreds of children each year. today the club is ready to make long overdue improvements, including renovating and expanding its building, adding new classrooms, and refurbishing its gymnasium so it can serve even more children and bolster its rae re-creation and educational programming. they are hoping to acquire the current building and surrounding land from the city of paducah. however, these plans are stalled by an outdated federal deed restriction put in place by the national park service on the land where the boys and girls club currently operates. h.r. 1276 removes that restriction which would, in turn, allow the city of paducah to transfer the parcel directly to the club. i want to thank representative comer for working with the natural resources committee to amend this bill during our committee's markup. to ensure this area remains

dedicated to public and recreational purposes in perpetuity. this is a commonsense bill that cuts red tape, empowers local leaders, and strengthens a vital community institution. chairman comber has played a vital role in leading and representing his community. i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 1276, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. in 2012 the national park service conveyed these 3.62 acre parcel in connecticut to city -- kentucky to the city of paducah. this program allows states, counties, local governments to acquire surplus land for public recreational purchases. an i credibly impactful tornado to the trump administration's scheme. the national park service still remains a deed restriction. today the parcel is utilized as you heard by the oscar cross

boys and girls club which provides programming for youth in the community. the club is a central part of the community by faces challenges in accepting new members and a growing wait list due to the need for renovations and expansion of facilities. h.r. 1276 would remove the national park service's deed restriction, allowing the city of paducah to transfer the parcel to the club so they could move forward with the renovations and improvements needed to increase capacity, expand programming, and better serve youth in the community. i would like to thank the majority for working with us in the markup to add language that ensures this property continues to serve a public purpose by the boys and girls club. this is an important assurance and guarantee. i urge support for this bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from arkansas is recognized. mr. westerman: mr. speaker, i yield three minutes to the gentleman from kentucky, the lead sponsor of the bill, chairman comber. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. comer: thank you. mr. speaker, i rise today in sprong support of my bill, h.r.

1276, to remove restrictions from a parcel of land in paducah, kentucky. it's an honor to serve the people of paducah and mckraken county in congress. one of their community's most impact institutions -- impactful institutions, has been a cornerstone of support and opportunity for local youth for over 60 years. the club is located on land currently owned by the city of paducah, which has held the property since 2012. for over 60 years the oscar cross boys and girls club has been a force for good in paducah, and has a positive impact on thousands of children who have come through its doors. today the club is facing unprecedented demand. more than 100 children are currently on the waiting list due to space constraints in the existing facility. unfortunately, lingering federal interest in the property dating back to the city's involvement in the federal lands to park program decades ago, has impeded

progress on an exsiding renovation project for the local boys and girls club. despite strong local support from the city pass duka this effort has hampered efforts to raise funds and begin the registration process. this is a straightforward, common sense bill. it would allow the transfer of land to the club. this is a common fix to move the project forward. i was proud to partner with paducah and local stakeholders to develop a solution to this issue and ensures the federal government's unnecessary involvement no longer stands in the way of the progress for the children of paducah and mckraken county. i'd like to thank senator paul for introducing s.601 and

mr. mcconnell for being a co-sponsor of that legislation. i look forward to working with them to get the bill to president trump's desk. i would like to thank mr. westerman for his support and urge passage of h.r. 2076. i yield. mr. westerman: i have no further requests for time and am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the chairman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the gentleman from arkansas is recognized. mr. westerman: as has been noted for 60 years the oscar cross boys and girls club of paducah has provided a dedicated service to their community, h.r. 1276 is a straightforward bill to enhance this legacy of service by removing a unnecessary federal deirdre restriction and allowing the city of paducah to transfer land directly to the club. this will pave the way to

directly ben kentucky's kids and families. i urge my colleagues to support the bill. i yield my time. the speaker pro tempore: will you pass this bill h.r. 216 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from arkansas seek recognition? mr. westerman: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4285 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 250, h.r. 4285, a bill to direct the secretary of the interior to designate an entrance fee free date in 2026 at national park service sites in order to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the united states of america. the speaker pro tempore: pursuan t to the rule, the gentleman from arkansas, mr. westerman,

and the gentlewoman from washington, ms. randall, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from arkansas. mr. westerman: i ask all members be given five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and add extraneous material to the bill now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. westerman: i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. westerman: i rise in strong support of h.r. 4285, the stars act, led by my colleague, representative maloy from utah. this bill designates september 17, 2026 as a fee-free day across our national parks and other federal recreation lands in honor of the 250th anniversary of our nation's independence. september 17 was also the date on which the u.s. constitution was signed 11 years later, bringing together two foundational milestones in american history.

by waiving entrance and registration fees at more than 400 national park units and thousands of recreational sites, the stars act ensures families across the country can celebrate america's 250 by connecting with our natural landscapes and historic places, from our forests and lakeshores to our battlefields and monuments, these sites tell the story of our liberty, resilience, and shared civic values. this is a simple bipartisan bill that expands access to our public lands, encourages public participation in the semi says quentinal and confirms the ideals that continue to command our nation. i thank mr. boozman for leading this legislation in the house and senate. respectfully, i'd like to recognize the work of representative pete stauber who offered a thoughtful amendment in our natural resources committee markup to expand this bill to national forest refuges and all public lands.

i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting h.r. 4285 and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. next year our nation will celebrate its 250th birthday. h.r. 4285 the stars act would mark that milestone september 17, 2026 by providing free entrance to the park services and waiving recreation fees to sites managed by the bureau of land management, the fish and wildlife service and the bureau of reclamation and the u.s. forest service. i fully support in letting more americans experience our public lands and will be honored to support this bill. however, it is hard to ignore how hollow this gesture feels when it comes alongside the republican effort to undermine access to these very places. while we may be hearing how pressured our public lands are from my colleagues today, some of their actions paint a different picture. republicans are slashing the already underfunded land

management agency's budgets and republicans are firing americans who keep our lands open and safe and republicans are trying to sell our public lands for a quick buck. the republicans are working to undue protections for our national monuments or trying to push extraction purposes no matter the health or consequences. the republicans are attempting to erase and rewrite history in our public lands and working to turn our public lands into prisons and detention centers. americans deserve better. they deserve public lands open and well cared for and honest about our history, not just a few symbolic gestures and a free entrance day every now and then. it is our responsibility to care for our public lands and support the people who care for them and ensure they reflect the full and robust history of everyone who

shaped this country. that's how we can honor the past and ensure our public lands remain places future generations of americans can learn from and enjoy. democrats will continue to stand up for our federal work force and to fight to protect america's public lands. i urge support for this bill and i reserve the balance of my time the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from arkansas is recognized. mr. westerman: as we get ready to celebrate our 250th year anniversary and actually, we're already in it with some of the revolutionary war battles being fought already over 250 years ago, we look forward to americans having a very affordable day to go to our parks and federal lands for free. and it's already an exciting time in america. i commend the gentlelady who brought this bill to us and the effort she's put forth to make sure that americans can have an affordable day on our federal

lands. and i yield three minutes to the gentlewoman from utah, the lead sponsor of the bill, ms. maloy. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. maloy: thank you, mr. speaker. americans are preparing to celebrate the 250th birthday of the united states in 2026? how do you celebrate 50 years of freedom? one uniquely american way is to do it in the best idea we ever had, our national parks and connects our history and shared heritage including our bright future as a nation. the semi cenquintennial act, the stars act, designates constitution day, september 17, 2026, as a fee-free day at the national park service sites and extends few waivers to the federal lands, the fish and wildlife service, the bureau of reclamation and the united

states forest service and allows americans to experience our natural history and resources that preserve and protect the legacy that began in 1776. this legislation is complimentary to the department of interior's effort to launch the america the beautiful passes, expand motorcycle access and improve the experience for americans. the stars act highlights constitution day to encourage reflect on america's founding principles. get out and enjoy this nation's resources and get out and celebrate with our loved ones in one of the parks. free access allows our community to participate in our celebration together. americans might come together in this national commemoration by getting outside in a forest, historic park, a bird refuge, or go on an iconic hike. the stars act is about connecting americans with history and the founding principles of our republic. we can celebrate america's

birthday in a very american way that invites all people regardless of age or income bracket to be united and taking part in the freedoms we enjoy as a result of our constitution. maybe, just maybe, by joining together to mark this milestone we can awaken a fresh reverence and respect for our founding documents, our collective national blessings and the ideas that changed the world 2 1/2 centuries ago. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the gentleman reserves his time. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. i am enthusiastically in support of this policy. but i think i have to underscore again that our public lands belong to all americans as the prime sponsor mentioned regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status or background. the stories preserved at sites

like became bridge island exclusion memorial in my district serve as powerful reminders of what happens when we allow fear and prejudice to override our values of inclusion and justice. and in this moment in our history as we celebrate the stars act of our nation, we also are watching history attempt to repeat itself with the rounding up of americans and the rounding up of folks living in this country who are being persecuted in our streets and on our public lands. so i rise in support of this legislation and urge all my colleagues to support it as well but also urge us to learn from our history and move forward more equitably.

i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arkansas is recognized. ms. well: i thank chairman maloy and boozman on the stars act in their respective chambers of commerce. this is a good bill that gives every american the chance to celebrate our 250th anniversary in the very places that preserve our history and heritage and urge my colleagues to support the bill and i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4285 as amended? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the bill is suspended, the bill is passed, and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 655 as amended.

the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 233, h.r. 655, a bill to direct the secretary of agriculture to convey certain federal land to the city of the of the dows, oregon. the speaker pro tempore: pursuan t to the rule, mr. hurd and ms. randall will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from colorado. mr. hurd: i ask all members are allowed five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 655 the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. hurd: i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. hurd: i rise in support of this straightforward legislation that would transfer 150 acres of u.s. forest service lan to the

city of the dalles, oregon, and include a dam and reservoir that the city operates under a special use permit. the crow creek reservoir in mount hood provides water for drinking purposes in the dalles. the infrastructure provides 80% of the water supply. in order to access and maintain this critical water infrastructure, the city must reapply for special use permits from the forest service, a time consuming and expensive process. in addition to wasting time and personnel resources, the renewal process is estimated to cost the city at least $12 how. the problem layings of the dalles increased by more than 110%. the city plans to increase the crow creek reservoir's capacity to 900 to 3,000 acre-feet, allowing the city to take fulloneership of the land within

the reservoir's watershed will allow local leaders to move ahead with planned capacity and improvements to the crow creek reservoir without running into red tape and wasting taxpayer money. it's a fiscally responsible bill that will cut costs for the community and forest service. the land transfer will allow the city to advance upgrades to the crow creek reservoir. r.655 is a simple, practical step that saves money immediately and decreases costs over time by shrinking the federal state. i would like to thank representative bentz for his leadership and ask my colleagues to join me in supporting. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman there washington is recognized. ms. randall: i rise in support of h.r. 655 introduced by my colleague trt pest -- pacific

northwest. this would convey 150 acres of federal land in the mount hood of national forest to the city of the dalles, oregon. this is vital and supports 80% of its annual water supply. local ownership of this land will allow the city to better manage its water resources, protect water quality and planned for future water infrastructure. the land transfer would incur no cost to the city and be subject to valid rates. the city would cover the administrative expenses including surveying and by quit claim deed. i tank the majority to include language that the property is iced by the city for the public in perpetuity. the legislation offers a practical bipartisan solution to address clear infrastructure need and to adopt to a changing climate in which water resources are becoming more and more

scares. i ask my colleagues to vote yes and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. hurd: i yield two minutes to the gentleman from oregon, mr. bentz. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. bentz: mr. speaker, i rise in support of my legislation h.r. 655 the dalles watershed act. the city depends on the municipal watershed for almost all of its supply and drinking water and protecting this is vital to the health, safety and future of the dalles community. it is complicated that critical infrastructure of the crow creek reservoir and surrounding timbered area is locate odd city-owned and federally managed lands. the city operates these facilities under a use permit which is inefficient and costly and limits the city's ability to expand and modernize its water

supply. the city of the dalles is a growing city and important city and one that deserves this help and attention and i am happy to bring this bill to achieve this purpose. this bill offers a solution by traferg 150 acres of forest service land within the watershed into the city's op. it will allow the city to upgrade the crow creek dam and increase reservoir capacity and eliminate the need for ongoing special use permits with the forest service and allow comprehensive management strategy and save tens of thousands of dollars for administrative costs for the city and forest service. this is a community-driven proposal that supports clean water, public safety, economic growth and good government. i thank chairman westerman and members of the committee for support of this bill and vote

yes on h.r. 655 and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the gentleman from colorado. mr. hurd: this will eliminate the city's need to apply for permits and allow a vital expansion which is necessary to serve its growing population. expanding the city's water supply will support businesses and families that call the dalles home. this is timely and transparent to local government and saves taxpayers money. i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 655 and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 655 as amended.

those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition? mr. hurd: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2293 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 2293, a bill to require the secretary of the interior to reissue certain regulations relate to double crested at al qaeda what culture facilities. pursuant to the rule the gentleman from colorado mr. hurd and the gentlewoman from washington will each control 20 minutes. mr. hurd: i ask unanimous consent that members may include extraneous material on the bill

under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr. hurd: i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of h.r. 2293, the cormorant relief act sponsored by congressman ezell of mississippi. this would reinstate the order for double crested cormorants which was in place from 1998 to 2018 until it was reinstate bid a judge. double crested cormorants are birds and intelligent predators where fish are easy to cash. studies that it costs the industry nearly 65 million annually in economic losses. this legislation would streamline the permitting

process to take double crested cormorants and restoring them without negatively impacting their populations. i thank the congressman and urge my colleagues to support h.r. 2293. i reserve the balance of my time. gentlem an reserves. the gentlewoman from washington. ms. randall: i i'm speaking on behalf of 2293. we are facing issues with predatory birds and experience it in washington state as well. double crested cormorants consume large quantities of fish negatively impacting businesses that provide jobs and support local communities. from 2003 to 2014, the fish and wildlife service implemented the 2003 proposed rule adopting the

resources and order that allowed operators, states and tribes to manage populations in a controlled way with proper oversight. but that program was found to be unlawful. this bill would reinstate the order for facilities. further it would expand coverage to 12 states and allow the secretary to add others as appropriate. the bill would incleut lake managers and pond managers who face similar challenges. we have worked out a bipartisan solution that maintains safeguards like nepa and the migratory birth treaty act. this will have proper oversight and require renewal every five years and moving forward fish and wildlife services conduct assessments as it renews the program. this mr. williams: help deliver

protein to american families. this is a workable approach and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. hurd: i yield to mr. ezell. mr. ezell: i rise in strong support of h.r. 2293 the cormorant relief act of 2025. reinstates the did he gradation for double breasted cormorant. it can eat up to a pound and a half of fish every day and the fish and wildlife service has classified as a species that prey. they are forced to jump through needless hoops. the order is nothing new. it is the same commonsense tool that is reinstated in 2003, 2009

and 2014. farmers have been struggling for the implementation of nondmerveg catfish flooding our markets. they lose up to $64 million in stock to the cormorant. catfish farmers in mississippi and across the southeast have been laid down by burdensome permits and processes created by people too far removed of the realities of the every day working class americans. it's past time we restore a commonsense approach and not have red tape in any way. i thank chairman westerman and the gulf coast officials and numerous people of mississippi to bring this bill to the floor. vote yes and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from washington

is recognized. ms. randall: i urge passage of this legislation and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the jam colorado is recognized. mr. hurd: this harms coastal economies. i thank mr. ezell for his work and attention to this issue and i urge the passage of h.r. 2293 and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2293 as amended. taser. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition? mr. hurd: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 3857 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: a bill to amend the

snow water supply forecasting program re-authorization act. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from golf, mr. hurd, and the gentlewoman from washington, ms. randall each will control 230 minutes. mr. hurd: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 3857 the bill now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr. hurd: i yield myself such time as i pay consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized howard hurd i rise in support of h.r. 3857 snow water supply re-authorization act. in colorado and in the west, we don't measure water by what comes out of a faucet but what falls on our mountains. snow pack is our reservoir, lifeline and future. water managers are forced to make major decisions with incomplete data. the snow water forecasting

program uses satellite imagery and other remote sensing tools to measure snow pack. better data means better reservoir planning and better support for agriculture and better protection for our cities and towns and better management across every industry that depends upon water in the west. we cannot manage what we can't measure. h.r. 3857 gives western communities what they need to plan ahead and protect the water resources that sustain our way of life. i urge support for this legislation. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: i rise in support of h.r. 3857 the snow water supply forecasting re-authorization act. this legislation as he described would extend the buyer of

reclamation snow forecasting program through 2031 ensuring that communities have accurate water forecasting in advancing new technologies and expanding snow monitoring areas. this work is extremely vital to supporting western communities facing growing challenges of climate change, persistent drought and growing demands from communities growing in our states. across the west, communities are experiencing changing precipitation diminished snow pack earlier runoff. i certainly look to the mountains, the olympics and cascades every time i drive around my districts using a very untechnological approach. now science activities are using much better tools. this legislation authorizes better tools to allow us to plan

for our communities and access to clean water, agriculture and economy. these changes that we have seen create uncertainty for water managers and users who rely on accurate data for planning. by re-authorizing the water supply forecasting re-authorization they need continued collaboration between agencies and forecasting capabilities. i vote my colleagues to vote yes and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. hurd: i continue to reserve. . . . . ms. randall: i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. mr. hurd: this helps water

managers promptly respond to drought. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 3857 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- mr. hurd: mr. speaker? the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition? mr. hurd: i ask that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuan t to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition? mr. hurd: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1676 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number

238, h.r. 1676, a bill to amend the pittman robertson wildlife restoration act to require the secretary of the interior to improve the wildlife conservation and restoration program of a state within a certain period of time. the speaker pro tempore: pursuan t to the rule, the gentleman from colorado, mr. crank, and the gentlewoman from washington, ms. randall, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from colorado. mr. crank: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on h.r. 1676, the pill now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. crank: mr. speaker, i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. crank: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 1676, the make swaps efficient act of 2025 sponsored by representative donalds from florida.

this bill advances a goal shared by both house republicans and the trump administration to promote government efficiency by holding the u.s. fish and wildlife service accountable when reviewing state wildlife action plans or swaps. swaps serve as blueprints for identifying each state's and territory's unique conservation needs. by law, states must have an updated swap to receive funding through the state wildlife grant program and swaps must be updated every 10 years. the swaps of 44 states, the district of colorado and three territories are up for renewal in 2025. in the past, the approval process for swaps has taken as long as 18 months due to bureaucratic delays at the fish and wildlife service. last year, the association of fish and wildlife agencies in the u.s. fish and wildlife

service entered into a memorandum of understanding to simplify the review process for these plans. this bill is intended to complement that work by directing the secretary of interior to approve swaps within 180 days of submission. i commend representative donalds for his continued leadership and i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 1676. thank you and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: h.r. 1676 will improve the efficiency of state wildlife action plan review process. the state wildlife managers in every u.s. state are facing increasing challenges. nationwide, more than 1/3 of all plant and animal species face heightened risks of extinction. state wildlife action plans are

essential to proactively conserving fish and wildlife rather than waiting for populations to decline to a point where they need endangered species act protections. these plans provide a comprehensive assessment of the status of the state's wildlife populations, key habitats, and strategies to keep the population strong. each year these funds provide states with upwards of 54.4 million to conserve species and critical habitats. these funds have enabled numerous success stories, including research and conservation for the rare sierra nevada redd foxx in california and the cook inlet beluga whales in canada. states must update their action plans every year to qualify for state wildlife funds. this year dozens of states are going through their annual process and are concerned a already thin fish and wildlife work force will have a difficult time processing these plans in a timely fashion. this bill would redirect the fish and wildlife service and states to work together to speed

up statewide life action review plan policies and codify the fish and wildlife current practice of automatic implementation while a plan is in review. to ensure states don't lose access to these critical funds while the service reviews their plans. at the same time, this bill would maintain the standards by which these plans are reviewed ensuring these federal dollars are used responsibly as congress intended. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting h.r. 1676. thank you and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. hurd: i yield three minutes to the gentleman from florida, the lead sponsor of this bill, mr. donaldss. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. donaldss: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in strong support of my bill, the h.r. 1676 the make swaps efficient act. this year marks the 20th anniversary of state wildlife action plans, a major mild stone for fish and wildlife conservation. statewide action plans serve as

a vital blueprint for identifying the unique conservation needs of each state and territory and are required for states to take part in the state and tribal wildlife grant program. these plans play a leading role in helping prevent and recover endangered species and guide the conservation of over 12,000 species of the greatest conservation need. currently, there is no deadline for the u.s. fish and wildlife service to approve a state submitted wildlife action plan with most taking over 18 months to simply get an approval and is something unacceptable and my legislation seeks to change that. the bill directs the secretary of interior to improve a state's swap within 180 days once the secretary determines the swap complies with the requirements of the pittman robinson wildlife restoration act. if the department of interior fails to operate the swap within 180 days, the swap is deemed

approved. it's time to take a real swipe to unnecessary red tape, minimize self-induced delays and streamline a regulatory process, the allocation for much needed conservation funding to our states. in short, mr. speaker, this is a very good piece of legislation. it was my pleasure to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle on this and i recommend that the body approve this legislation. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. i support this legislation and urge my colleagues to do so as well and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. crank: this will ensure our programs work as they were intended. once again, i'd like to thank mr. donalds for his diligent work and attention to this issue and i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i yield back the balance of my

time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1676 as amended? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- mr. crank: mr. speaker? the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman seek recognition? mr. crank: i demand the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the nard. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition? mr. crank: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2388. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 243, h.r. 2388, a bill to take certain federal land in the state of washington into trust for the lower elwha klallam

tribe and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuan t to the rule, the gentleman from colorado, mr. crank, and the gentlewoman from washington, ms. randall each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from colorado. mr. crank: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on h.r. 2388, the bill now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. crank: mr. speaker, i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. crank: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 2388, the lower elwha klallam tribal lands restoration act sponsored by congresswoman randall. h.r. 2388 would take approximate 1,083 acres of national park service land into trust for the lower elwha klallam tribe which is located within the olympic

peninsula in northwest washington and has approximate 984 enrolled members. the tribe signed the treaty of point-no point in 1855 which entitled them to share a small reservation not on their traditional lands. after signing the treaty, most tribal members opted not to live on their reservation and instead choosing sites of their ancestoral body grounds. lieu through the indian re-authorization act of 1934, the federal government acquired 372,000 acres of land and assigned it to 14 families in the tribe. in 1968, the tribe received federal recognition which included the acres given to the families. as a result of federal recognition, the lower elwha reservation was formally established for the tribe.

the approximate 1,083 acres of national park service land in this legislation were acquired in the 1990's through the elwha river ecosystems and fisheries restoration act. the act required the national park service to identify lands to be transferred to the lower elwha klallam tribe for housing or economic development purposes and place them into trust. i urge support for this bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of my bill, the lower elwha klallam tribe project. thank you for congressman hurd and crank for bringing this legislation to the floor. i'm deeply honored to serve on the indian and insular affairs and represent a district home to

12 federally recognized tribes and led in ecosystem restoration. each time this congress gathers to address land reservation and rights we are doing incredibly meaningful work. not only along the tribes we serve but because of our federal government commitments. i'd like to extend a fellow thank you for the chairman charles testifying. she spent her career protecting and preserving their language and ensure treaty preserved hunting and fishing rights remain. it strengthens the restoration of the elwha watershed which is one of the best examples of ecological recovery anywhere in the country. this bill recognizes the lower people have lived for and care for this land since time in

memorial. transferring land into trust is a powerful action the united states can take to deliver on trust and treaty organizations. and we show it as a way to return land to the stewardship of the people who know it best. this bill is straightforward and long overdue. it aligns our policies with our values and honors the community who spent decades repairing the damage caused. as someone who has the honor of representing the lower elwha klallam tribe i'm proud to lead along canter and murray and recognize the dedication of derrick kilmer who championed this bill in past congresses prior to his retirement last year. chairman charlesens leadership has been essential to one of the most ambitious restorationation projects in our country's

history, the removal of two dams on the elwa river, the largest removal of dams in the nation of our history and a water system that had been blocked for a century. just this year we celebrated the return of the salmon through canoeing which tribes sail around the sea and british columbia to come to land to celebrate, to commemorate their history and to promise to preserve the land, water, and east coast so system this legislation is an important piece of this puzzle of the and transferring land into trust for the elwha klallam tribe. lands acquired during the dam removal process and historic

villages and ecological and stewardship of the river. placing these lands in trust is just not a procedural act but a promise fulfilled and affirms the tribe's sovereign right to protect sacred sites for generations to come. join me in moving this bill forward in returning these lands to the lower people. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. crank: i have no requests for time. i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. crank: h.r. 2388 takes park service land into trust for the lower elwha klallam tribe. i thank ms. randall for her work

on this legislation and i urge adoption and i yield become. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2388. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the bill is passed. and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition? mr. crank: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2389. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 244, h.r. 2389 a bill to take certain land in the state of washington into trust for the benefit of the queen alt indian tribe indian nation and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from colorado, mr. crank and the gentlewoman from washington, ms. randall, each will control 20 minutes.

mr. crank: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 2389, the bill now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr. crank: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr. crank: i rise in p support of h.r. 2389 the queen alt indian nation land transfer act sponsored by congresswoman randall. h.r. 2389 would place approximately 72 acres of u.s. forest service land known as allotment 1157 into trust for the queen alt indian nation. the nation is located on the western coast of washington state in the southwestern corner of the olympic peninsula. in the treaty of olympia.

the quey nawlt ceded their lands and in return received tracts that became the indian reservation. the treaty was passed after the general allotment act and the tribe's lands were separated into 2, 340-80-acre allotments. one of these individual allotments was allotment 1157 which was sold by the indian allot yes to a logging company for $60,000 in the 1960's. the logging company faced legal challenges by the u.s. fish and wildlife service in the early 1990's. in 1996 the trust for public lands purchased allotment 1157 and sold it to the u.s. forest service for $3 mill qulon. the forest service currently manages the land. the indian nation has attempted

to reacquire ownership of the land which sits on their reservation for the benefit of their tribe. the tribe has the support of local stakeholders and the federal grant and plans to use the land for heritage and cultural purposes. gaming on these lands pursuant to the indian gaming regulatory act would be prohibited. i support this bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado reserves. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: i rise today in strong support and i thank chairman westerman and subcommittee chairman hurd for the opportunity to speak about another bill before us today. and for their thoughtful engagement with tribal council members and tribal president when he came before committee

and committee member johnson who testified about the importance of this legislation earlier this year. this bill for me represents the kind of tangible bipartisan work i believe that congress should be doing every day, delivering real solutions, repairing historic injustices and strengthening our relationships with sovereign tribal nations. earlier this year i introduced this in partnership with senators cantwell and murray and recognize the leadership of representative kilmer who worked on this legislation in past congresses. this bill would return 72 acres of land known as allotment 57 to the indian nation by placing it into trust with the department of interior. to understand this matter we have to understand the history. allotment 1157 was once part of the he key nawlt.

and during the era of forced allotment and fracturing where ownership of tribal land was divided, the land was taken out of trust and ultimately lost to the tribe and passed through to a timber company and acquired by the u.s. forest service. through all those years, the people were cut off from land that held deep cultural and it includes some of the last remaining old growth forest in the region and a place where carvers slid can use into the salmon river and to craft to history, it is sacred languaged. returning allotment 1157 is not historically justified but morally necessary and restores the land that was never meant to be taken and reaffirms the nunes treaty obligations and allows the tribe to continue stewarding

since time and memorial. the nation plans to use this land of education, a living museum where future generations can learn about their heritage and connection to the salmon river watershed and responsibility to protect the land. this is self-determination in action. this is environmental stewardship in partnership with tribal leadership and this is congress fulfilling its process. i am proud to champion this bill and i urge my colleagues to support this restoring allotment 1157 is long overdue and moving this legislation is a meaningful towards justice. to my partners, thank you. your voices and stories, they are essential as we work to uphold our commitment to tribal nations and to the natural resource committee members thank you for giving this the thoughtful consideration it deserves. i ask for your support and thank you. i reserve.

the speaker pro tempore: the jo reserves. the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. crank: i have no further requests for time and continue to reserve. gentlem an reserves. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. mr. crank: h.r. 2389 takes 72 acres of u.s. service forest land into trust for the indian nation and adds the 72 acres to the contiguous to the indian nation. this supports tribal sovereignty and has the support of the tribe will leaders. i urge passage of this bill and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is will the house suspend the bill and pass the bill h.r. 2389. those in favor, say aye. those

opposed, no. 2/3 being in the affirmative, the bill is suspended and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition? mr. crank: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2290 as amended. the clerk: union calendar number 240, h.r. 2290 a bill to provide the commemoration haven't sacrifice and service of the women who protected the home front during world war ii may be located on the national mall and for other purposes pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from colorado, mr. crank, and the gentlewoman from washington, ms. randall, each will control 20 minutes, the chair recognizes the gentleman from colorado. mr. crank: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on h.r. 2290, the bill now under

consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr. crank: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr. crank: mr. speaker, i rise today in front of h.r. 2290, the world war ii women's memorial location act led by representatives dingell and fulcher. during world war ii, more than 18 million women stepped up to serve this country on the home front. while many americans recognize the image of rosey the riveter, their work went far beyond the factory floor. my grandmother served as rosey the riveter to fight on the home front as well. women were code breakers, pilots, medical professionals, truck drivers and community caretakers. their contributions were essential to the allied victory. supporting our troops overseas

and redefining women's roles in american society. in 2023, congress authorized the creation of a memorial to honor the women who worked on the home front during world war ii. but under the commemorative works act placing that memorial on the national mall or in the surrounding area requires an additional act of congress. h.r. 2290 provides that authority ensuring this memorial can be located in a place of national prominence along side other monuments honoring wartime service and sacrifice. this bill is bipartisan and straightforward. it properly recognizes the contributions of millions of american women whose work was essential to victory in world war ii. by authorizing this memorial to be placed on or near the

national mall, we affirm their legacy and ensure future generations will learn from their patriotism, responsibility and service. i encourage my colleagues to support h.r. 2290. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: i rise in strong support of representative dingell's h.r. 2290 world war ii legislation act. this legislation would ensure that the service and sacrifices of millions of american women are forever honored on the national mall. and not erased as we have seen efforts to do over the course of this year. during world war ii over 18 million stepped forward raising the number of women in the work force to nearly 40% between 1940 and 1945. these women served in so many

capacities, pilots, mechanics, electricians, coders and countless other roles, many of them served in my district at able and the naval shipyard. their contributions were the backbone of the war effort showing what the country can achieve. and opened doors for future generations of women, welders and scientists and servicemembers. by authorizing the world war ii women's memorial we are ensuring that the legacy of these brave women will never be forgotten. i urge support and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. crank: i have no further requests for time and prepared to close. i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. joosm -- the gentlewoman from washington is recognized.

ms. randall: i yield as much time as she may consume to the representative from michigan. mrs. dingell: i rise today to show my strong support of the world war i women's memorial act that i introduced along side my good friend mr. russ fulcher and authorizes the national mall as the location for the memorial commemorating the service and the sacrifice of the women who worked on the home front during world war ii. this bill advances a this bill a decades-long effort to honor the more than 1,800 trail blazing women who are now nope and loved as the roseie the riveters. our roseies answered the call when our nation needed them the most.

redefining the role of the american woman and opening the door wider for generations to come. during world war ii, women went to work in record numbers and yet they are all too often the untold story of the home front. ford motor company's will low run bomber plant in michigan, just as an example, women made up almost half of the work force that turned out one complete b-24 liberator bomber every 55 minutes. many women worked in jobs that no one ever thought that they could do, such as riveters, and by the way, the roseies taught me what a riveter was, i didn't realize what it was until i was by that plane and i went, oh, that's what a riveter. is they were welders. they proved to themselves and the world that americans can do it.

i am blessed to have many roseies in my life. i've gone to many 100, 102, 103 birthday parties -- birthdays because we're blessed to have a number of the original roseies living in my area. they've inspired me, they tell me their stories, and on a cold veterans' day this year, when the windchill was zero degrees, i stood outside with those strong, resilient women, every ounce of their intellect there. sharing the stories of what it meant to be a roseie. this bill will take us one critical step closer to ensuring our roseies receive the recognition they deserve. in 2022, congress passed bipartisan legislation authorizing the establishment of a memorial dedicated to the roseies. however, additional legislation

is needed to permit the memorial to be located near the existing world war ii memorial. they are part of that whole story. i'm proud to lead this bipartisan legislation and help complete the story of world war ii and our nation's -- in our nation's front yard. i urge my colleagues to support the world war ii women's memorial location act which was carefully crafted to respect the commemorative works act process, honoring leg sis of our roseies and ensuring that the memorial may be located at a site near the current world war ii memorial. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. like my colleague mentioned, i recently had the chance to go to a 100th birthday of one of my constituent who was an original roseie.

ms. jean lillian winther, whose story was part the fabric of our country's history t a -- at a time when women were rarely seen in the shipbuilding trades. jean stepped forward with courage and determination, taking up the torch, literally, she showed women could excel as welders, as builders, as defenders of our nation's security, and as i learned at her birthday, excellent dancers on the decks of the aircraft carrier between shifts. her work on the essex class carriers were vital to our nation's success. her work went further. jean blazed a trail for women who came after her, proving that skills and determination know no boundaries. every woman who has wielded a welding torch in the years since has walked easier because of women like jean. i'm so honored to support this legislation to make sure we commemorate in a place of honor the women who helped shape our

country and helped shape the future of women in service and in the trades for years to come. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. crank: this bill is about ensuring that the contributions of millions of women on the world war ii home front are remembered. alongside other monuments in washington, d.c. and this commemorates america's wartime service and sacrifice. h.r. 2290 guarantees that future generations will see their stories represented in a place of national prominence. i urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan measure and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2290 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is

passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition? mr. crank: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2306 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 2306, a bill to re-authorize the adams memorial commission and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from colorado, mr. crank, and the gentlewoman from washington, ms. randall, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from colorado. mr. crank: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five lem slative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on h.r. 2306, the bill now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. crank: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. crank: i rise today in strong support of h.r. 2306, the

adams memorial great american heroes act. led by my colleague, representative moolenaar of michigan. alsnow -- although our nation's capital contains towering and iconic tributes to many of our founding fathers, we still have no memorial for president adams and his family. their remarkable dynasty of public service gave america not one, but -- but two president, a secretary of state, an ambassador, an abolitionist, and one of our most accomplished first ladies. john adams was a chief architect of independence. our vice president and our second president. whose lifelong correspondence with his chief political rival, thomas jefferson, stands as a shining example to their shared

principles. abigail adams was an early advocate for women's rights and shaped the presidency through her letters and advice to her husband. their son, john quincy adams, served as our sixth president and later was a fierce opponent of slavery in this very body. as the only former president to be elected to the house of representatives. in 2001, congress sought to finally cement the relation is -- legacy of the adams family in our nation's rich history by approving the creation of a memorial to the adams family in washington, d.c. in 2019, congress further authorized the adams memorial commission, a bipartisan panel comprised of members of congress and presidential appointees tasked with spearheading, plan, raising private funds, and

educating the public on the adams family legacy of patriotism and civic duty. with the majority of commission members approved as of last year, the commission has begun the site selection process for the memorial. representative moolenaar's bill extends the authorization of the adams memorial commission until 2032, allowing its members to continue their work to create the first memorial in washington, d.c. dedicated to honoring the adams family. the bill would authorize a new site for the memorial, just south of the white house, where john and abigail adams were the first presidential family to reside. during a legislative hearing in the federal lands subcommittee, jackie gingrich curbman, chair of the adams memorial commission, testified that, quote, the adamss exemplified

strength of character, belief in god and the importance of family, education, and public service. john adams and his family demonstrated that ideas, hard work, and determination can change an entire nation for the better. this memorial will inspire new generations of americans by reigniting pride in our shared american values and our constitutional republic. end quote. this bipartisan bill will give our nation the opportunity to honor john adams and his family with the memorial they deserve. as america approaches its 250th birthday, there's no better time to honor a family whose ideas and sacrifices helped build our nation and protect its principles for generations to

come. i'd like to commend representative moolenaar for his leadership in this effort and take a moment to recognize the late representative jerry connolly of virginia who we sadly lost earlier this year. representative connolly not only sat on the adams memorial commission, but also was the main democratic sponsor of this legislation and a champion for the adams family memorial. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting h.r. 2306 and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you so much, mr. speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 2306, legislation introduced by my colleague from michigan, mr. moolenaar. this bill would extend the authority for the adams memorial commission and authorize a prominent location for the eventual memorial to commemorate the legacy and contributions of john adams and the entire adams

family including abigail and their son john quincy adams. it's been nearly a quarter century since congress first authorized this memorial in 2001. and it's time to finish what we started. we're speaking of family that didn't merely war pis pate in the american experiment because helped define it. thomas jefferson called john adams the colossus of independence and his thoughts on government framed the constitution we swear to uphold every day we report to work here in our nation's capitol. abigail adams was an early beacon for women's rights, and john quincy adams fought the gag rule and slavery here in the house. the adams family's contributions to our country and development are countless. because john adams was the first to live in the white house it's only fitting that this memorial be located nearby. we can only hope the hard work, wiz testimony and dedication of these american heroes rub off on

the current and future residents of the white house. i want to thank representative moolenaar and all sponsors of the legislation for their support. hopefully we'll all be able to visit the new memorial very soon. i urge support for the bill and reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. crank: i yield two minutes to the gentleman from michigan this lead sponsor of this bill, mr. moolenaar. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. moolenaar: i thank the speaker and thank the gentleman for yielding and his strong support and also thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their work in this area. today i rise in support of h.r. 2306, the adams memorial great american heroes act this. bipartisan legislation will extend the adams memorial commission which is tasked with establishing a national memorial honoring president john adams, first lady abigail adams, and their family for their leadership in shaping the early

course of this nation. as we look to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the declaration of independence, this bill celebrates a family pivotal to the foundation of this country. the united states would not be where it is today without multiple generations of adams family members serving the country and working tirelessly to ensure its success. john adams served as our first vice president and second president with abigail supporting him throughout as his most valued and trusted adviser. they were the first family to occupy the newly constructed white house which this monument will be immediately adjacent. to their john, john quincy adams, was america's sic president, and so dedicated to this country that following his administration he returned to the halls of this very building to con his service as a member of congress, arguing adamantly

for the abolition of slavery. this memorial will educate generations to come about this historic family's role in our nation's founding and inspire all americans to honor their principles of leadership, colonel, and public service. i'm pleased to support the ongoing work that has brought the adams memorial closer to reality, ensuring that our nation's first leaders are remembered in a fitting and lasting way. i urge all my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation. thank you, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from washington. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. lynch. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr. lynch: good afternoon, mr. speaker. as a member of the adams memorial commission, i rise in strong support of hrment r. --

of h.r. 2306. this legislation would extend until 20329 existing authorization to build the adams memorial in the president's park, dedicated to the contributions to our nation by john and abigail adams, john quincy and louisa kathryn adams, and henry adams and their family. the exciting part of this is that while efforts have been made in the past, we have finally arrived upon a -- what i think is a suitable location for this memorial. it's shown in this small rectangle here, not very far from the white house itself on the ellipse. and i think that is the key to the success of this effort and i give great credit to the bill's sponsor, john moolenaar, and my other colleagues on the adams commission, for making the effort and advocating that the

adams family receive the recognition and the appropriateness of this memorial speaks to this as well. mr. speaker, during the 118th congress, i was honored to be appointed to the adams memorial commission by democrat leader hakeem jeffries. i'd also like troiz and thank -- like to recognize and thank the commission chair, jackie curbman, who was -- cushman, who was essential to this whole process and really was a driving force in bringing all of us together, as well as commissioner major general peter cooke, and commissioner richard hoton for their dedication to thefort. in addition i'd also like to thank my fellow members of congress on the commission, congressman morgan griffin of virginia, and also the lead sponsor of this bill, congressman john malnarrow of -- moolenaar of michigan. our dear friend and colleague, the late congressman injuriy connolly, also -- jerry con liquors also served on the a-- gerry connolly, also served on the adams commission until his passing earlier this year.

he stood for what was fair and just, disas our former president -- as did our former president in john and john quincy adams. congressman connolly is deeply missed and the remaining members of the commission greatly appreciate his work and the work of my massachusetts delegation colleagues. first, bill delahunt, who we lost a couple of years ago and worked on this commission. and congressman bill keating who actually stood in gerry connolly's place to join the commission and carry on the representative's legacy. as the gentleman from colorado noted, this success of this endeavor is greatly aided by the designation of this particular site for the purpose of establishing this memorial. president john adams was one of our most influential founding fathers, negotiating the treaty of paris that secured our

independence from britain. he was also a steadfast public servant who believed staunchly in the rule of law, defending british soldiers after the boston massacre, even when it was unpopular. and ensuring that the first peaceful transfer of power after his loss in the 1800 presidential election. his son, john quincy adams, was equally as devoted to public service and i'm honored to hold the same seat in the house of representatives that he once held after his presidency where he made the fight against slavery one of his primary causes. and his advocacy for public education and the sciences is a legacy that i'm proud to continue. mr. speaker, this is the third attempt at this effort. it is a glaring oversight that on the eve of our 250th anniversary there is still no memorial in our nation's capital honoring john adams, john quincy adams, both presidents and their families and their leading role in shaping our country. this recognition is long

overdue. in closing, i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this act and i thank you for the time and the courtesy and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from washington reserves. the gentleman from colorado. >> i have no further requests for time, mr. speaker, and i'm prepared to close. continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you so much, mr. speaker. i urge support for this legislation and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from colorado is recognized. >> thank you, mr. speaker. just down the hall from this chamber, we get to take our constituents many times on a tour through statuary hall and we see the location where john quincy adams served as president. mr. crank: some of our founding fathers tolerated slavery. john quincy adams knew it for what it was. a stain on our soul, and worked so hard, dedicated his life to

eliminating slavery. i can't help but think of the divine providence that allowed john quincy adams for one term to serve in the same chamber as abraham lincoln. and i think god smiled upon our nation when he did that, to pass the torch on to abraham lincoln and end that scourge for america. and for mankind. mr. speaker, by re-authorizing the adams memorial commission, h.r. 2306 would provide the time needed to thoroughly design, locate and construct a memorial truly worthy of the adams family's commitment to america. i once again would like to thank representative moolenaar for his bipartisan commitment to honoring one of america's most accomplished founding families, ahead of our nation's 250th birthday. and i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i yield back the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 2306, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspected, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition? mr. crank: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 2916. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 307. h.r. 2916. a bill to authorize, ratify and confirm the agreement of settlement and compromise to resolve the akwesasne mohawk land claim in the state of new york and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from colorado, mr. crank, and the gentlelady from washington, ms. randall, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from colorado. mr. crank: mr. speaker, i ask

unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on h.r. 2916, the bill now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. crank: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. crank: i rise in support of h.r. 2916, to authorize, ratify and confirm the agreement of settlement and compromise to resolve the akwesasne mohawk land claim in the state of new york. introduced by the gentlewoman from new york, congresswoman stefanik. the saint regis mohawk tribe is located on the border of new york and canada, along the st. lawrence river. following the revolutionary war, the seven nations of canada and the state of new york signed the 179 of treat -- 1796 treaty, which gave the tribe its reservation. in 1824 and 1825, new york

acquired land from the tribe without the federal government's approval, violating the nonintercourse act which reserves to the united states the exclusive right to acquire indian lands and prohibits conveyance without federal approval. after decades of court proceedings, a 2022 northern district of new york ruling determined that the state of new york's 1825 purchase of land violated the nonintercourse act. mediation between the parties resumed. and culminated in a settlement signed earlier this year. the settlement would return approximately 3,500 acres of land to reservation status and would allow the tribe to acquire up to 14,000 additional acres from willing sellers. additional provisions in the settlement include waived tuition and mandatory fees for

akwesasne mohawk students attending state university of new york institutions, and preferred rate power from the new york power authority. the settlement requires no federal monetary contribution and clearly defines the reservation's boundaries. negotiated settlements related to indian land claims under the nonintercourse act require congressional approval, and that is why we are here today. h.r. 2916 would authorize, ratify and confirm the akwesasne mohawk land claim settlement agreement and bring final resolution to a longstanding claim. i urge support for this bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you so much, mr. speaker. h.r. 2916 would finalize a longstanding land claim in new york for the st. regis mohawk tribe by ratifying and

confirming agreement of settlement and compromise to resolve the akwesasne mohawk land claim in the state of new york. under this settlement, the tribe will see 3,500 acres of land returned to the reservation status and have the opportunity to get up to 13,000 acres of land in the areas. the land also provides students who attend state university of new york institutions free tuition and mandatory fees. in addition, the tribe will have the right to nine megawatts of power at a preferred rate from the new york power authority and will receive $70 million from the power authority over 35 years. this legislation will finally resolve the akwesasne land claim after 43 years of litigation and 11 years of negotiation. i urge my colleagues to vote yes on the bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. crank: mr. speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentlewoman from new york, the lead sponsor of this bill, ms. stefanik. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for two minutes. ms. stefanik: thank you, mr. speaker.

and thank you to my colleague, representative crank. i rise in support of h.r. 2916, my bill to ratify the land claim settlement agreement between the st. regis mohawk tribe, the mohawk council of akwesasne, new york state, franklin and st. lawrence counties, the towns of bombay and the new york power authority. for more than 40 years the st. regis mohawk tribe and the mohawk council of akwesasne have worked diligently to figure out the claim in my district. the last decade has seen very focused efforts between the tribe, local and county officials and our congressional office to realize this long-sought agreement dating back to the 1796 treaty with the seven nations of canada. this historic settlement provides long-term certainty and remedies in terms of lands, land acquisition, payment of past property taxes, and will greatly benefit our north country community. for the st. regis mohawk tribe, today's action represents the resolution of a generations-long

fight and findizing this -- finalizing this settlement allows the tribe to strengthen self-governance and expand economic opportunities for the north country. unfortunately i was dismayed to watch the agreement sit on the governor's desk for over six months while she refused to review the documents, then pushed last-minute change, leaving members of the st. regis mohawk tribe and the mohawk council of akwesasne who worked alongside my office had on this legislation in limbo and long awaiting the culmination of over 40 years of their leadership's hard work. our office worked swiptly and diligently to pass this out of committee and i am proud to have gotten this across the finish line in the house and look forward to getting this legislation passed in the senate and on to the president's desk for his signing. this moment is the culmination of the dedicated work by many past and present mohawk leadership elders and community members from the akwesasne, as well as county and local officials, and i'm honored to pass this bill in congress. i yield the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado reserves. the gentlelady from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you so much, mr. speaker. i urge support for this policy and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: jeeltds back -- the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from colorado. mr. crank: mr. speaker, h.r. 2916 gives the st. regis mohawk tribe clarity on their reservation land and resolves a centuries-old violation of the nonintercourse act. this settlement is long overdue and widely agreed upon. it is up to congress to take the final steps and authorize this settlement. i urge the passage of this bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 2916. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition? mr. crank: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 573, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 342, h.r. 573. a bill to require the council on environmental quality to publish an annual report on environmental reviews and causes of action based on alleged noncompliance with the national environmental policy act of 1969, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from colorado, mr. crank, and the gentlelady from washington, ms. randall, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from colorado. mr. crank: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all mr. crank: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 573, the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without

objection. mr. crank: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. crank: i rise in support of h.r. 573, which would consolidate prior nepa data collection efforts into a sing real port published annually oby the council on environmental quality or c.e.q. this bill ensures that consistent, transparent, permitting data is accessible to the public. it is well known that our permitting system is mired with substantial delays. many of these issues stem from burdensome and lengthy environmental documents and lawsuits instigated by special interest groups. in past administrations, c.e.q. was published reports on nepa lit if case and environmental reviews. from 2001 to 2013, annual surveys recorded the defendant

agency, plaintiff category and case results showing that special interest groups, not individual citizens or communities, were responsible for the most nepa cases. although these c.e.q. studies provided useful data on the cumbersome review timelines and resource strains resulting from nepa analysis, they have either been produced ad hoc or attention to their continued production has fallen by the wayside. similar to c.e.q.'s annual litigation serovars conducted between 2001 and 2013, the reports required by this bill would include information related to any nepa-related civil action brought against an agency, each plaintiff and case outcome. this information will allow congress to identify who is

suing to block critical infrastructure products and examine the end result of the litigation on the project itself. this bill would also build off the first trump administration's nepa reports conducted in 2020 by directing c.e.q. to review the page length of environmental impact statements and the timelines to complete such e.i.s.'s with updates published annually. this information will give congress better insight into whether agencies are respecting the nepa deadlines and page limits created in the fiscal responsibility act. i want to thank the lead sponsor of this legislation, representative yakym, for his hard work on this bill, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from washington is recognized. ms. randall: i rise in support of representative yakym's

studying impact on projects act this. would direct agencies to submit to the council on environmental quality an annual report on nepa lawsuits filed, the basis for the legal claim and outcome if applicable. i believe these reports will show there are far fewer nepa lawsuits holding up lawsuits than my colleagues across the aisle sometimes argue about, but regardless, this will be good data for decisionmakers to have this. bill will also require reporting on the time it takes to complete impact statements and the number of those analyses. the council will report on average length of time, page count and any trends. i thank the committee for working on us to show page limits and timelines preand post the act. this law puts new limits on deadlines and impact statements. it will be important to know if these requirements are working.

i support this legislation and i reseven the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman from colorado. mr. crank: i yield four minutes to the gentleman from indiana, the lead sponsor of the bill, mr. yakym. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. yakym: i thank the gentleman. i rise in strong support of my bipartisan bill h.r. 573, the studying nepa's impact on projects act which i introduced with my good friend, mr. panetta, from california. the national environmental policy act or nepa was passed in 1970 to look at the impacts of projects on the environment. after decades of abuse and misuse, nepa has strayed far from its original purpose. now it's a four letter word. often weapon sized to bury infrastructure, housing, energy and other critical projects under a mound of paperwork and litigation. nepa is more synonymous with red tape than a green light.

one recent study found that energy products spend a median of three years from final agency approval to a final court decision. with some projects facing delays that last for decades. at various points in time, the white house council on environmental quality or c.e.q., has compiled reports on lawsuit, paperworks and delays associated with nepa. but these efforts have mostly been ad hoc. this bill would formalize and consolidate these reports by requiring the c.e.q. to publish a single annual report detailing the burdens created by nepa, including the volume of lawsuit, the length and complexity of environmental review and paperwork, and the cost of delatos taxpayers and project sponsors. this report, coupled with the efforts of the trump administration and this congress to rein in permitting burden, will allow us to conduct oversight, ensure accountability and identify areas of further

reform. the consequences of nepa are felt across this country. from manufacturing and construction in my district to critical force management, mine, and housing projects. these delays impact our economy. but they also constrain our efforts to achieve energy dominance, to protect our national security, and to compete with china. this bill is an important step in our work to continue reforming the permitting process. it's time to get the government and unnecessary barriers out of the way of hardworking americans who want to make america build again. i want to thank chairman westerman for his help in getting this bill to the floor and to my friend, mr. panetta, for his partnership. i urge my colleagues to vote yes and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado reserves. the gentlelady from washington. ms. randall: thank you so much. i yield two minutes to my colleague from california, mr. panetta. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. panetta: thank you, mr.

speaker, mr. crank, ms. randall itch rise in support of this act. this is a bill that would require the council on environmental quality to provide annual reports that evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the federal permitting process. i want to thank representative yakym for his leadership on this issue and his willingness to work in a bipartisan fashion to fix the permitting process. it's a process that can be bogged down, can be burdensome, can be brutally bureaucratic, make causing unnecessary delays that make it difficult to improve affordable housing and advance important energy and transmission projects. people in california's 19th congressional district as well as i'm sure in the second district of indiana and communities across the country have a great amount of concern and consternation as the permitting process is stunting their will and ability to reduce their carbon output, to solve the affordability process and to

decrease the damage from natural disasters. requiring an annual report is a common sense and practical way to use evidence to find the issue, to fix the process, and affirm our energy and environmental values. it's a first step. we get that. but we know it's also a very big and impact. step. so that together we can implement our efforts to protect our planet, to increase clean energy options for our country and to reduce costs for communities. i urge my colleagues to vote aye. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman from colorado. mr. crank: i have no further requests for time and i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. randall: i urge my colleagues to support this measure and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado. mr. crank: mr. speaker, the studying nepa's impact on projects act will provide

congress with crucial information on nepa litigation. it'll also provide transparency to help ensure that agencies comply with the fiscal responsibility acts, nepa deadlines and page limits. i thank mr. yakym, mr. panetta, for their work on this bill and i urge my colleagues to support the bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 573 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition? mr. crank: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4503 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 4503, a bill to

improve environmental reviews an authorizations through the use of interactive digital and cloud-based platforms and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from colorado, mr. crank, and the gentlelady from washington, ms. randall, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from colorado. mr. crank: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on h.r. 4503, the bill now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. crank: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. crank: i rise in support of h.r. 4503, the e-permit act which will establish a government-wide technology strategy to improve federal permitting processes and timelines. i'd like to thank my colleagues, representative johnson and peters, for their strong bipartisan work on this legislation.

today's digital landscape for federal permitting is out of date. consisting of diverse and isolated systems spread across different federal agencies, generally these systems are not interoperable or sufficiently accessible. for project sponsors or their general public. to address these issue, the trump administration issued a memorandum titled, "updating permitting technology for the 21st century." and the council on environmental quality, or c.e.q., subsequently issued a permitting technology action plan. the plan sets the foundation for the seamless exchange of information between agencies. simplified interactions for applicants. and greater transparency and predictability on environmental review and permitting schedules for project sponsorrings and stake holders. the e-permit act would codify

key aspects of c.e.q.'s action, their action plan, and provide federal agencies with direction on implementation of electronic permitting systems. it would also instruct c.e.q. to work with other agencies to establish a unified interagency data system for environmental permitting and integrate a.i. into agencies' permitting process. as the world increasefully adopts new technology solutions to boost productivity and improve project outcomes, the federal government must do the same or risk being left behind. the e-permit act takes a strong step in the right direction by modernizing federal permitting technology in a project agnostic manner. again, i thank my colleague, representative johnson, and peters, for their kilo-- for this commonsense, bipartisan

bill. i ask my colleagues to join me in support and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in strong support of the e-permit act, led by representative johnson and co-led by representative peters. this will help improve technology to approve permitting across the federal government. perhaps more importantly the bill is an example of what can be accomplished with a bipartisan approach to problem solving and good faith negotiations. the fiscal responsibility act directed the biden administration to study the possibility of improving digital tools for permitting. representatives johnson and peters partnered to turn those recommendations into good legislation. the current administration has helped finalize the bill and with further input from both democrats and republicans. i strongly support this bill and hope to do more of this work in the future. i reserve my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado. mr. crank: i yield five minutes to the gentleman from south dakota, the lead sponsor of the bill, mr. johnson. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. thank you to the gentleman from colorado. i'll admit to being pretty excited that the e-permit act is on the floor today, not just because it's my bill but because america needs this. for years, both parties have agreed that our permitting system is too slow, it's too complicated and frankly it's too stuck in the past. that's too bad because the story of america -- housing, more broadband, more critical infrastructure that will pow they are american economy for decades to come. too often in the last few years our too often or permitting process has stood in the way of that. our federal agencies, here we are, the most technically

advanced nation in the world arguably, yet our agencies have been using decadesa-old fragments systems that were not built for the scale and complexity that we see with modern projects. it's almost laughable, we've got modern agencies, we've got multiple agencies that will look at the same project, using different data standards, using different approaches, different systems, and believe it or not, they're still trading old, outdated, mostly static p.d.f.'s. now, perhaps not surprisingly, this creates confusion, delay and a lack of transparency for project developers, for communities, for the public, and for our own federal agencies. sometimes they don't even know with specificity what's going on at a particular stage of the process. the epermit act, this bill, addresses those problems. because of this bill, we will

modernize and digitize our permitting process. with uniform data standards and a unified permitting portal. so that agencies can work together and so that the public and communities can see what is actually happening. now, of course as the gentlelady mentioned, we're not starting from scratch. i was involved when congress recognized the importance of these digital solutions in the fiscal responsibility act of 2023. and she's right, the trump administration has prioritized this work and we have worked with the administration to bring legislative clarity to that vision. let's be honest. there are many parts of the citing and permitting process that republicans and democrats disagree on. but this is not one of them. a more efficient, a more transparent permitting system is bipartisan. our diverse coalition of

co-sponsors and supporting stakeholders show just that. so i do want to thank mr. peters for being a good partner on this legislation. i want to thank chairman westerman and ranking member huffman. the epermit act is a win for builders, a win for transparency, a win for communities in the public -- and the public, and a win for america's competitiveness. i urge my colleagues in joining us to let america build again. and with that, mr. speaker, i'd yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado reserves. the gentlelady from washington. ms. randall: i urge support of this legislation and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. crank: mr. speaker, this is an important piece of legislation. i urge my colleagues to support the bill. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 4503.

those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. pardon me. h.r. 4503, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition? mr. crank: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 5131, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 346. h.r. 5131. a bill to extend military land withdrawals in alaska, new mexico and california for a period of 25 years, and to make technical corrections to descriptions for certain military land withdrawals and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from colorado, mr. crank, and the gentlelady from washington, ms. randall, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the

gentleman from colorado. mr. crank: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on h.r. 5131, the bill now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. crank: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. crank: i rise today in strong support of h.r. 5131, the public lands military readiness act of 2025. sponsored by representative beggic of alaska -- begich of alaska. this is an important bill then sures our military continues to have access to the lands they need to train, to test, and to remain ready to deter and defeat our nation's adversaries abroad. h.r. 5131 extends critical land withdrawals for an additional 25 years at fort greely and fort wainwright in alaska, fort erwin in california, and the mcgregor

range at fort bliss in new mexico. these lands provide unique training environments, restricted air space, and infrastructure that cannot be replicated elsewhere. they are essential for arctic operations, brigade-level exercises, missile defense testing, and joint training with our allied forces. the importance of this legislation cannot be overstated. it is vital that we continue to allow the army to use these unique areas. fort greely and fort wainwright in alaska have the only arctic training environments in this nation. fort erwin in california's mojave desert houses the national training center, the army's premier site for brigade-level force on force training exercises. and finally, the mcgregor range in southern new mexico supports patriot missile live fire exercises, aerial gunnery, and

large scale mobilization training. without these vital training areas, we would risk losing our military's strategic advantage over hostile foreign nations. i want to commend representative begich for his leadership on this effort. his bill provides long-term certainty to the u.s. army so they can continue training and testing effectively as they prepare for the threats of tomorrow. by advancing this legislation, he's not only helping alaska, but the entire nation, by ensuring we have the most capable, prepared armed forces in the entire world. i'd also like to thank the u.s. army for their continued service to our nation and for their collaboration on this effort. they strongly support this bill and we were grateful to work alongside them to advance this legislation. this is a good bill, it strengthens the national

security, provides certainty for our service members, and ensures america remains prepared to deter aggression and protect our interests around the world. this legislation also directly reflects the priorities set forth in president trump's executive order on prioritizing military excellence and readiness. which reaffirmed america's commitment, the military support yority necessary to -- superiority necessary to counter new and emerging threats. i thank representative begich for his hard work on this legislation which helps our military. i urge my colleagues to support his bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 5131, legislation introduced by my colleague from alaska, mr. begich. this important bill will extend the public land withdrawals for several military installations that operate on public lands in alaska, california, new mexico.

our public lands do a lot and as we have already discussed on the floor of the house today, they mean a lot to the american people. one critical function that many americans may not know about is their role in supporting military training, readiness and other strategic missions throughout the country. the use of these lands is made possible by the extensions provided by this bill are incredibly important to the u.s. army and the department of defense. so i want to thank the majority for working with us in a bipartisan manner to ensure swift consideration of these provisions. a version of this language is expected to be included in this year's final version of the national defense authorization act, which is expected to get a floor vote very soon. and this will ensure that critical operations in each of these installations proceed without interpretation. lastly, i want to thank representative begich for his work on this bill and urge swift passage. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves.

the gentleman from colorado. mr. crank: mr. speaker, i yield five minutes to the gentleman from alaska, the lead sponsor of this bill, mr. begich. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from alaska is recognized for five minutes. mr. begich: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in spofer my bill, h.r. -- in support of my bill, h.r. 5131, the public lands military readiness act of 2025. this is a bipartisan, commonsense measure that ensures our armed forces retain access to some of the most essential training lands in the united states. for decades public lands in alaska, new mexico and california have been withdrawn from military use under statute. these withdrawals are not permanent, however, they must be renewed by congress and several of them are now scheduled to expire. if congress fails to act, critical training areas at fort wainwright, fort greely in alaska, the mcgregor range in new mexico and fort erwin in california would lose their legal status for military use. h.r. 5131 solves that problem by

extending these withdrawals for 25 more years and making necessary technical corrections to land descriptions to ensure accuracy and proper management. in alaska alone, this bill protects more than 850,000 acres of world class training terrain used by the 11th airborne division, the army's only arctic designated division. these soldiers must train next stream cold, remote and challenging environments in order to be prepared for real world missions in the high north. there is simply no substitute for the terrain and conditions alaska provides. this legislation does not expand the military footprint or limit public access beyond what is already established. importantly, this bill does not bypass environmental review. in fact, the military has engaged in robust consultation with tribes, local communities, conservation groups, and stakeholders across alaska, new mexico and california. what this bill does is

straightforward. it preserves readiness, strengthens national security, and upholds responsible stewardship of public lands. all while ensuring the continuity of training operations that our service members rely on to stay prepared and to stay safe. at a time when global threats are ever-present, particularly in the arctic, congress must ensure our military can train as they fight. h.r. 5131 accomplishes exactly that. i want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their support and i urge all members to join me in voting yes on this important legislation. thank you and with that i yield the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado reserves. the gentlelady from washington. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. i urge support of this bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from colorado. mr. crank: mr. speaker, i want to again thank representative begich for his leadership on the public lands military readiness act of 2025. this bill ensures that our

military's capabilities and readiness will remain strong as we move into the future. before i close, i'd like to ask unanimous consent to include in the record an exchange of letters between the committee on natural resources and the committee on armed services. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. crank: i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting h.r. 5131 and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 5131, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the chair lays before the house the following enrolled bill. the clerk: senate 616. an act to amend title 36 united states code to revise the federal charter for the foundation of the federal bar association.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 323. the clerk: h.r. 323, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 80 prospect street in avon, new york, as the office

anthony mazurkiewicz memorial post office building. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. gill: i ask unanimous consent that all may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr. gill: i rise in support of this bill which would rename a post office in avon, new york for officer anthony mazurkiewicz. officer mazurkiewicz served with the rochester police department for 29 years. he was an active member of the rochester locust club. he was shot and killed and while on duty. he is survived by loving wife of 28 years line, three children and four grandchildren. i encourage my colleagues to

support this bill and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: i rise in support of h.r. 323, officer anthony ms. mas was born in 1967 and 29 year veteran. he received the rochester lifesaving award, officer of the month award 17 excellent police service awards. officer mazurkiewicz and his partner were shot while undercover investigating a double homicide. his sacrifice deserves to be honored. i encourage my colleagues to join me in naming the post office in avon, new york after him. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. gill ghil i yield five minutes to ms. tenney.

ms. tenney: thank you to representative gill. i rise in support of my bill to rename the post office. it is appropriate to name this post office after anthony mazurkiewicz, a grateful community should find ways to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice and service. tony was born on november 7, 1967 in amsterdam, new york. he was a graduate of avon high school. officer mazurkiewicz began his law enforcement career in 1988 as a jail deputy with the monroe county sheriff's department. in 1993 he joined the police department as a patrol officer serving clinton and good map sections until he transferred. during his career as an officer with the rochester police department, officer mazurkiewicz was the recipient of the police

department's life saving award, 17 excellent police service awards, seven. 32 chiefs letter of commend occasion for 29 years of service without a complaint. beyond his duties, officer mazurkiewicz was an active member of the police lobbying cust club for his entire 29-year career. this included as representative for the executive board for over 20 years and contract negotiations scholarship committee. officer mazurkiewicz served and protected the rochester and looking forward to spend fishing, traveling and spending a lot of time with his wife lynn. on july 21, 2022, officer mazurkiewicz was shot and killed while on duty while conducting a

surveillance duty. officer mazurkiewicz and another officer were in an unmarked when the subject walked up and fired 17 rounds. he is survived of his wife of 28 years, his children and grandchildren, his brother frank and sister lisa, many aunts, uncles and very large and law enforcement and everyone in the community. officer mazurkiewicz was an american hero who dedicated his life to upholding justice until he was killed in the line of duty while serving our community. renaming the post office in his honor will not fill the profound hole in our community but serving as a lasting tribute to his legacy. this tribute will inspire future generations and ensure his

courage, patriotism and commitment to our community are never tore gotten. i am grateful to my colleagues for co-sponsoring this bill. i also want to thank chaimple jim comer and gerry connolly and robert garcia. and finally, i want to thank speaker mike johnson and hakeem jeffries for their help in getting this bill to the floor. i urge my colleagues to honor the life and service of anthony mazurkiewicz and show enduring support for our law enforcement officers. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: we have no further speakers and i urge passage of h.r. 323 and i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. gill: i urge to support for renaming the post office for anthony mazurkiewicz who gave his life. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 323. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. gill: i move that the house you suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1008. the clerk: h.r. 1008, a bill to designate the fall silt of the united states postal service located at 298 route 292 in holmes, new york as the sheriff add dryian butch anderson post

office building pursuant to the rule the gentleman from texan the gentlewoman from washington each will control 20 minutes. mr. gill: i ask ask members may have five legislative days to include extraneous materials on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr. gill: i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of this bill which would rename a post office in holmes, noshing for sheriff butch anderson. sheriff anderson served duchess county as mayor for eight years and sheriff for 47 years. his numerous philanthropic is a board member of the make a wish foundation of the hudson valley and chairman of the numerous organizations, march of dimes and big brothers and big sisters. sheriff anderson is survived by his wife and children. i encourage my colleagues to

support this bill and i reserve. ms. randall: i rise today in support of h.r. 1008. sheriff anderson was a 47-year veteran. in 1983 he was elected a mayor and served for eight years and received five combat crosses which is awarded to officers who perform acts of heroism. he was an active member of many local organizations as my colleague shared, serving as a board member of the make a wish and chairman of the march of dimes. honor the life of sheriff anderson by renaming a post office in honor of him. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized texas. mr. gill: i recognized mr. lawler.

law law a man whose life was diswiend by service, leadership and unwavering commitment to his committee. he dedicated more than five decades to public safety and public service in duchess county new york. his law enforcement career began in 1970 and appointed a deputy sheriff in the duchess county sheriff's department. he was promoted to detective in 1974. in 1983 he was lented mayor and served for eight years. he was elected duchess county sheriff in 1999 and served with honor until his untimely passing in 2021 discouring his sixth term and served as a member of the g.o.p. executive committee and took on pivotal roles in the new york and chaired president trump's new york campaign in

2016. his commitment extended beyond law enforcement. he was involved with community organizations including make a wish foundation and children's cancer foundation. he lived a life marked by courage and integrity and concern for the people he served he believed leading from the front and treating others with respect and showing up for his community every single day. a close friend of james earl scroans, his voice was a mixture of darth vader and john wayne. he had a distinctive voice and presence. it is my honor to announce this legislation designating the united states postal service facility located at 298 route 292 in holmes, new york as the sheriff butch anderson post office building.

this is a man whose service shaped duchess county for more than five decades and i thank sheriff anderson for his service, sacrifice and his commitment to duchess county. his legacy will endure for generations to come. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. gill: i encourage to support this bill naming this post service. the speaker pro tempore: i the speaker pro tempore: will the house pass the bill. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on

the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. gill: i move the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1009. the clerk: h.r. 1009, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 86 main street in haver straw, new york as the paul piperato post office building. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas, mr. gill, and the gentlewoman from washington, ms. randall, each will control 20 minutes. mr. gill: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr. gill: i rise in support of this bill which would rename the post office in haver straw new york for paul piperato.

he served as county clerk and responsible for numerous innovative services in the county clerk's office and passion for the people was evident in the quality of his work. i encourage my colleagues to support this bill and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: i rise in support of h.r. 1009. he began in 1998 when he joined the finance department and spent 16 years as deputy county clerk. during his ten your he implemented a digital record system and interviewed mobile services for the public. piperato remains an active part serving organizations and youth programs. join me in honoring the life by naming a post office in haver straw, new york, after him.

i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. lawler: i rise in strong support honoring a man whose service and leadership left a lasting mark on rockland county and the town of haver straw. he dedicated three decades of life public service as county clerk where his vision and commitment transformed government for the better. he was revered and respected. as a rockland county clerk, he made the office more accessible and efficient for the community he so dearly loved. he touched lives through his involvement with numerous civic organization including people to people and the arc rockland foundation. . .

. . he developed a cutting edge computer imaging system, launching a 24-7 online records portal and introducing e-filing and e-recording services that improved efficiency and accessibility for residents. his work ensured that government functioned not just effectively, but responsibly, meeting people where they are. paul created the highly successful veteran discount program, return the favor, address the house for one minute straighting his deep commitment to those who served our nation. his dedication to maintaining naturalization ceremonies for new citizens reflected his profound love for our community and country. bringing joy to those he welcomed as his fellow americans. his legacy as a public servant made him a pillar of whatever straw and rockland -- haverstraw and rockland county and continues to benefit residents every single day through the programs and systems he put in place. it is therefore my honor to help introduce threjslation -- this legislation, to rename the

united states poe as it service -- postal facility in haverstraw, new york, as the paul piperato post office building. this designation is a meaningful appreciation for his hard work, his leadership, and his life long commitment to serving others. by renaming this post office, we ensure that future generations will know the name of paul piperato. not only as a county clerk, but as a visionary public servant who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of those he served. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. i urge passage of h.r. 1009 and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. gill: thank you, mr. speaker. i encourage my house colleagues to support this bill, naming a post office for a local public servant, paul piperato. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass

h.r. 1009. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. gill: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1830. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 1830. a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 840 front street in casselton, north dakota, as the commander delbert austin olson post office. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from texas, mr. gill, and the gentlewoman from washington, ms. randall, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. gill: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. gill: i yield myself such

time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. gill: mr. speaker, i rise in support of this bill, which would rename a post office in casselton, north dakota, for u.s. navy commander delbert austin olson. commander olson entered the u.s. navy from north dakota and served in world war ii, korea and vietnam. on january 11, 1968, he piloted a mission that took off from thailand and while descending into the target area, the aircraft crashed, killing commander olson. commander olson's remains were not recovered until 2001 and he has been memorials id on the courts of the missing at the national memorial cemetery of the pacific. commander olson was married to his wife, patricia, and had two children, dana and eric. i encourage my colleagues to support this bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in sphor of

h.r. 1830, the bill brought before the house by my fellow freshman and women's congressional softball teammate, julie fedorchak. to honor commander delbert austin olson. he's a hometown hero of casselton, north dakota. who served in world war ii, the korean war and the vietnam war, as a member of the united states navy. as part of observation squadron 67, while descending into a target area in laos during the vietnam war, his aircraft crashed on a remote mountainside. on january 11, 1968. killing him and his crew. his remains were not identified until 2002, after being recovered the year before. he was finally laid to rest in arlington national cemetery in 2003 and received medals. the senate unanimously passed a similar version of this bill during the last congress. i urge my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of commander olson by naming a post office in casselton, north dakota, after him. and i reserve the balance of my

time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. gill: mr. speaker, i yield five minutes to the gentlewoman from north dakota, ms. fedorchak. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. fedorchak: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to honor a true north dakota hero from casselton, north dakota. commander delbert austin olson. commander olson, as my colleagues mentioned, answered the call of duty not once, not twice, but across three major conflicts, world war ii, the korean war, and the vietnam war. in vietnam, he served with distinction, participating in some of the most dangerous missions of the war. he flew low over ho chi minh trail to gather intelligence that protected american service members on the ground. on january 11, 1968, commander olson and his crew were killed in action when their plane went down. his name is etched on the

vietnam veterans memorial wall and today we gather to take another step to make sure future generations know his story. my legislation will rename the kalsleton -- the casselton post office as the commander delbert austin olson post office. this is a small way to show how much we value his sacrifice and to make sure his story lives on in the town he loved. north dakota does not forget its heroes. commander olson's life reminds us of the quiet strength and devotion that defined the very best of this country. i'm proud to bring this bill forward and i urge my colleagues to join me in honoring commander olson's remarkable service and sacrifice. i yield back. mr. gill: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. i urge strong support for this bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the gentleman from texas is recognized.

mr. gill: thank you, mr. speaker. i encourage my house colleagues to support this bill, naming a post office for commander olson, who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to a grateful nation. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 1830. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. gill: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass s. 2283. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 2283. an act to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 201 west oklahoma avenue in guthrie, oklahoma, as the oscar j. upham

post office. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from texas, mr. gill, and the gentlewoman from washington, ms. randall, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. gill: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. gill: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. gill: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of this bill which would rename a post office in guthrie, oklahoma, for oscar j. upham. oscar john jefferson upham was a private serving in the united states marine corps during the boxer rebellion and spanish american war. ultimately earning the medal of honor for his service in china in the summer of 19 hub. in addition -- 1900. in addition to serving in the marine, he worked as letter carrier for the guthrie post office for 40 years. he retired from the u.s. postal service and he died february 14,

1949, in guthrie, oklahoma, where many of his family still live today. i encourage my colleagues to support this bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of 2283. oscar john jefferson upham served honorably in the u.s. marine corps from 1896 to 1901. he earned the medal of honor for his valiant actions during the boxer rebellion in peking, china. he was also known for firing the opening shot from the u.s.s. oregon at the battle of santiago bay in 1898 during the spanish american war. after his military service, he continued his private life in guthrie, oklahoma, where he worked as a letter carrier for an impressive 40 years. before his passing in 1949. i encourage my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of oscar upham by naming a post office in guthrie, oklahoma, after him. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized.

mr. gill: i have no further speakers and i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from washington is recognized -- the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. i urge sphrong strong support for -- strong support for this legislation and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. gill: thank you, mr. speaker. i encourage my house colleagues to support this bill naming a post office for oscar upham, an american military hero. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. request the he is -- the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass s. 2283. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. gill: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2466. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 2466. a bill to designate facility of the united states postal service located at 5225 harrison avenue in rockford, illinois, as the jay p. larson post office

building. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from texas, mr. gill, and the gentlewoman from washington, ms. randall, will each control 20 minutes. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. gill: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. gill: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. gill: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of this bill, which would rename a post office in rockford, illinois, for jay p. larson. mr. larson worked as a letter carrier for the u.s. postal service for 25 years, serving with enthusiasm and commitment, known for his joy and warm heartedness. jay larson was tragically killed in a mass stabbing spree in march, 2024, while delivering the mail. mr. larson is survierved by his mother, seven siblings, 10 nieces and nephews and many friends. i encourage my colleagues to support this bill and i reserve

the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of h.r. 2466. this is a bipartisan bill to rename a local illinois post office after jay larson, who served his community as a dedicated letter carrier. jay larson was killed while doing his job, delivering mail to his community. as one of four people killed had in attacks that took place last year in rockford, illinois. he gave more than 25 years of service to the united states postal service. i want to commend my colleague, congress member sorensen, for advocating on behalf of his constituent and bringing this bill to the floor. i encourage my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of jay larson by naming a post office in rockford, illinois, after him. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. gill: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield such time as he shall consume to congressman sorensen from illinois. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized.

mr. sorensen: i rise today in support of my legislation, h.r. 2466. which will redesignate the rockford post office on harrison avenue in honor of jay larson. i think the chair -- i thank the chair and ranking me for their support and my colleague on the other side of the aisle, congressman darin lahood, for partnering with me in this effort. jay larson was born and raised in the same hometown as me. we're proud to have been from rockford, illinois. in fact, jay was also proud to share the same high school as myself, boylen central catholic high school. jay served in our community as a letter carrier for 25 years. but here's the thing. he never took a sick day. because delivering the mail was more than a job for jay. everyone who knew him told me of

a man who was proud to take care of his neighbors. when it be caring smiles or conversation, thoughtful gestures and the occasional treat for his furry friends along the route. to his fellow letter carriers, jay was well known for his willingness to lend a hand, often helping others with their routes after he finished his own. as one of those colleagues summed it up, quote, he made everyone feel like you were the most important person in the world at that time. jay's jay's the definition of a exemplary public servant and good neighbor. last mail route was march 27 of 2024. he was killed in a senseless and violent attack while on the job. as we approach the two-year tragedy, it is my hope by

renaming the post office in his honor will offer a testament to his service while giving our city to be proud of. jay worthy of this honor and our memory. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i yield back. ms. randall: we have no further speakers and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. gill: i encourage my house colleagues to naming the post office as the u.s. postal service letter carrier. the speaker pro tempore: will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2466. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the bill is passed

and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. gill: i move the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1461. the clerk: h.r. 1461 a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 521 thorn street in sewickley, pennsylvania as the bettie cole post office building. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas and the gentlewoman from washington each will control 20 minutes. mr. gill: i ask unanimous consent that members may have five legislative days to include extraneous materials on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr. gill: i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of the bill which would rename a post office in so licky pennsylvania for marry elizabeth bettie cole and

served as the associate director of office services, director of mailing department at point college and local historian and beloved member of her community. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. ms. randall: i rise in strong support of h.r. 1461, she was a longstanding community leader born on april 5, 1923 and studied journalism and communications and became known as the historian of the black community and published their story of black african americans. and documenting an often overlocked part of the community. her book was published after including more than 100 interviews. i commend my colleague on advocating on behalf of his

constituent and join me in honoring the life of bettie cole and renaming the post office after her mr. gill: i reserve. ms. randall: i yield to the gentleman from from commonwealth of pennsylvania, mr. deluzio for much time as he may consume. mr. deluzio: i ask this house to vote yes on house resolution 461. bettie was born in pennsylvania on april 5, 1923 and moved to sewickley. she is a 1940 graduate of sewickley high school and she married and had two daughters. many years later, 1988 she

retired as the associate director of the mailing department and worked at point park she earned her degree in journalallism and and national and one of the 13 charter members of the chapter and boasted she was proudly the eldest member and only grandmother. and she worked for the benefit of her community. she was passionate about the history of her family and community. so for 20 years she had historical research and interviewed more than 100 community members. that work came to fruition title their story and it was a one of a kind documentation of a significant overlooked of the valley's history and heritage.

she passed away in 2016 at the age of 92. and i think it does merit recognition and what better way but to put her name on the post office. that history is a rich one and she is a key part of telling that story. that post office is a beautiful historical building and more meaningful marker for the community to rename it. h.r. 1461 was co-sponsored by the entire delegation. and i thank my colleagues for their support and i ask for a yes vote. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. ms. randall: we have no further speakers and i urge passage of h.r. 1461. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the gentleman from texas. mr. gill: i encourage my house

colleagues to support this bill naming a post office for bettie cole, local historian. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1461. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsiders is laid on the table. mr. gill: i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2175. the clerk: h.r. 2175, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 1308 south patterson avenue in santa barbara as the brigadier general frederick r. lopez post office building. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from washington each will control 20 minutes.

mr. gill: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr. gill: i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of this bill which would remaim a post office in santa barbara for brigadier general lopez. he served in the u.s. marine corps for 31 years both in active duty and marine corps reserve. as a result of his service he was awarded numerous decorations and medals. he served seven years as the flight test engineer and 29 years raytheon and director of engineering. he has been an active member serving on the board of directors of the pier clayson

veteran foundation and served with the national science foundation. i encourage my colleagues to support this bill and i reserve. ms. randall: i rise in support of h.r. 2175, during his 31 years, lopez was deployed to south vietnam to lead infantry and sniper units and led commander general for the first marine expedition area force and bronze star with combat b marking a distinguished career. brigadier general lopez served on national security boards and remained engaged in veterans' activities. i thank representative carbajal. and honor the life of brigadier

general lopez by naming the post office in santa barbara after him. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. gill: i reserve. ravened ranked i yield to the gentleman from state of california, representative carbajal for three minutes. mr.carson: -- mr. carbajal: thank you representative randall. i rise today to encourage every member of this chamber to support this legislation honoring santa barbara brigadier general frederick r. lopez. my bill would name the post office in honor of his legacy of service and his dedication to our country serving in the united states marine corps for 30 years both on active duty and in the reserve. general lopez was born in santa barbara as the oldest son, the

oldest of the six siblings and spent between santa barbara and later in galita. he earned a degree in math. upon graduation, general lopez joined the united states marine corps in 1967. soon after, he was deployed overseas for the vietnam war serving as an infantry platoon commander. his service earned him the bronze star and combat action ribbon as well as the respect. he searched in a number of critical leadership roles as the air naval gun fire commanding general for the fourth marine division and deputy commanding

general of the first expedition area force. he is a graduate of the naval war college strategy and policy course and armed forces national security course. the senior reserve components course and u.s. army war college and five other professional military schools. outside of his service, he has been an active member of his community serving on the board of directors of many organizations including the veterans foundation in santa barbara. he has been a member of the military order of the world wars for over 20 years. he was elected the 90th national commander in chief for the m.o.w.w. in 2020 and serves as the local colonel george

commander. his service is beyond worthy of recognition by congress. he represents the best of our servicemembers and his leadership will inspire others to continue in his footsteps for years to come. serving our nation and serving the military. i ask my colleagues to recognize in passing my bill to name the south patterson avenue post office in his honor. i yield back. ms. randall: we have no further speakers and i urge the passage of h.r. 2175 and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. gill: please support this bill naming a post office for brigadier general frederick lopez. i yield back. ism the gentleman yields, the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the

bill h.r. 2175. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the rules are suspended and the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. gill: i move the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1372. checker clerk h.r. 1372 a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service 300 macedonia lane in knoxville tennessee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas, mr. gill and the gentlewoman from washington, ms. randall each will control 20 minutes. mr. gill: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure. i rise in support of this bill

which would rename a post office in knoxville tennessee for reverend harold middlebrook. he played a crucial role in the civil rights movement during the sanitation worker strike in memphis and found that dr. martin luther king commemoration in knoxville. he was president of the human development corporation and adviser to the bi racial and coordinator of the political action commission and board member of the tennessee valley. he was a loving father to his three children . . . . . the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of h.r. 1372. and i will just offer that i

think many members of the oversight committee were very interested to ensure that this bill made it in the package today. so i'm glad to see it here. reverend harold middlebrook was born in memphis and was a civil rights activist, ordained minister and leader in the community. through his active involvement with the civil rights movement, he became friends and marched with dr. martin luther king jr. on more than one occasion. he secured the -- and partiparticipated in multiple ss in atlanta mr. adler: ministered at ebenezer baptist church. i ask my colleagues to join me in naming this post office after hit i reserve. mr. gill: mr. speaker, i yield five minutes to the gentleman from tennessee, mr. burchett. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman recognized. mr. burchett: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to honor the life and legacy of reverend harold middlebrook. he moved to east tennessee or my

district actually in 1977. of course i was in the seventh grade then so technically it wasn't my district but he was the pastor of the canaan baptist church of christ before moving to knoxville. he played a crucial role in the civil rights movement. he's a close friend of dr. king. he joined the memphis sanitation workers strike and that was a labor and civil rights movement for sanitation workers protesting unsafe working conditions and low wages. he was at the lorraine motel when dr. king was assassinated and in 1986 he founded the dr. martin martin luther king j. commemoration commission in knoxville and i will say for the record, every time they do the parade, it is the coldest day of the year. just for the record. he was also president of the human development corporation and advisor of the county biracial commission, he's a co-coordinator of the political action commission, he was an advisory member to the tennessee

public service commission, and beyond his leadership, reverend middlebrook is a loving father to three children, as statedle earlier, two of whom followed in his foot steps to work in public service. reverend middlebrook spent his life befriending and mentoring folks in our community. many friends of mine and myself have sought his counsel. and just for the record, mr. speaker, he's never voted for me. he's not a member of my political party. but we are still very good friends. and i think that's something that's missing in this country. when i was mayor of knox county, i would invite young people from the office and we'll go down to calhouns and eat a bunch of barbeque and i'd want those young people to understand that the civil rights movement was not something black and white on the history channel. it was real life and people got their heads cracked and people lost their lives. dr. middlebrook, i think he got arrested over 40 times during all that. he's an inspiration to me and

one other story. we were at an naacp dinner one night and they were asking everybody to sit at the head table and i was mayor at the time and they asked me to sit at that head table and i noted that dr. middlebrook and his bride were not sitting at that head table and i said, no, my wife and i will sit over here off to the side. i like to run with the ones that brought me to the table. and dr. middlebrook is one of those guys. he believed in dignity for all, he's a testament to character and his faith in jesus and i'm proud to support this. thank you. mr. gill: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. randall: thank you, mr. speaker. we have no further speakers and i urge strong support from all of our colleagues for h.r. 1372 and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the gentleman is recognized. mr. gill: thank you, mr. speaker. i encourage my house colleagues to support this bill, naming a post office for an honored community member, reverend harold middlebrook. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is, will the house

suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 1372. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares

members of congress and u.s. trade officials participated in global economic strategies for emerging technologies. this is a about 2 hours.